


Mother Nature

by Nival_Vixen



Series: Chaos-verse [2]
Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: Acceptance, Asexual Character, Best Friends, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Manipulation, Evil Plans, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Female Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gay Character, Good and Evil, Government Agencies, Healthy Relationships, Heroes to Villains, High School, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Manipulation, Moral Ambiguity, Multi, Pansexual Character, Parent-Child Relationship, Self-Acceptance, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Superheroes, Superpowers, Supervillains, Tragedy, Work In Progress, World Domination, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 20:23:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 75
Words: 358,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7728556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nival_Vixen/pseuds/Nival_Vixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Layla Williams was Mother Nature personified. Some people just seemed to forget that Mother Nature could be an evil bitch. Mother Nature could create living and growing things, and then in the next instant, destroy and take the very life She had created. Layla was no different.</p><p>The simplest of events can change a person deeply. Other not-so-simple events can change a person irrevocably; even if they become someone they had never imagined.</p><p>These are the events that lead to the creation of Poison and Fire, and their reign of Chaos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Layla Williams was Mother Nature personified. Some people just seemed to forget that Mother Nature could be an evil bitch. Mother Nature could create living and growing things, and then in the next instant, destroy and take the very life She had created. Layla was no different.

Of course, she hadn't always been an evil bitch. She'd once been a naive teenager, who thought she was in love with Will Stronghold. With that same naivety, Layla had wanted to save mankind, woman-kind, the animals, and the rainforest. Then, something had happened and changed her. There were many theories as to what had happened; some people said that it was because of Will dumping her, other people said it was Magenta's betrayal when she started dating Will only days after he had broken up with Layla. All of the theories were wrong, of course, but Layla didn't care about their whispers.

The real reason she had changed had nothing to do with her friends, or ex-friends as the case may be, but all to do with her mother. She changed on the day that her mother died.

It was a sad irony to tell that Ms. Williams had been killed by a rodeo bull, one that she had been fighting to free and protect. The bull, which had been starved, prodded, and zapped in order to keep angry and therefore entertaining, hadn't been the most stable of creatures before this mistreatment. By the time Ms. Williams realised that the bull had been driven crazy, and didn't realise that she was speaking to him, he was already charging at her. She didn't stand a chance to get away, and despite the fact that the bull was quite thin compared to others, it was still emotional enough to send her flying across the pen. Even if she could have survived the broken ribs and internal bleeding into a punctured lung, Ms. Williams had no way of living after breaking her neck against the wooden frame.

Layla and her friends, who she had coerced, cajoled, and outright begged to help her with the protest, had seen it happening. Not one of them had been able to react in time, and the sickening crack that her mother made when hitting the fence had snapped something inside Layla as well. Seeing her mother's lifeless form slumped against the wood, she turned to the bull, prickly and thorn-covered vines caging the creature in an instant. Layla vaguely heard the others calling to her, but she didn't look at them. In seconds, the vine-covered cage pierced the bull, killing it. While she didn't have her mother's gift, Layla could have sworn she saw relief in the animal's eyes as it was finally put out of his misery.

"Layla!" Will said, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him.

He stepped back the moment he saw her eyes, something in them terrifying him. Or rather, something that wasn't there anymore.

"Dude, what's happening?" Zach asked.

Will turned to him, stunned at his friend's words, but then he saw that Zach was pointing downwards, and they all looked in the indicated direction.

On the ground, vines were circling around Layla's bare feet. Since it was a hot day, she'd dressed casually in a pair of shorts, and her usual green shirt, and had taken her shoes off at some point while they protested around the bullpen. The vines widened their path, pushing them all back one by one. Before anyone could do a thing, the green ropes shot towards Layla, seeming to enter her skin itself and travel beneath the layers. If they had any idea that it hadn't happened, the green lines that rippled beneath her skin rectified that train of thought immediately. They all followed the green lines that travelled up her legs, body, shooting down her arms, and up past her neck. The green continued on her face, making her look terrifying and beautiful at the same time. She was like a rose opening for the last time, before the petals fell and the thorns were all that remained.

Later, the other five would quietly admit that they had seen tiny vines moving through the white of her eyes, but for this moment, all they could focus on were her irises. They were changing from their regular brown to a bright green, brighter than any leaf or plant any of them had ever seen. Then, as fast as the vines had moved into her body, the rippling and vines seemed to disappear completely. Slowly, Layla's body relaxed, and when she opened her eyes, they were brown once more.

Will, it seemed, was designated the group speaker, and he licked his lips nervously before taking a step towards Layla. "Are ... Are you all right, Layla?"

She turned to face where her mother was, seeming oblivious to Will's question, and cried with all the force of a flooding rain.

He would never admit it aloud, even to the others, but Will was almost relieved at her reaction. The whole vine thing was just too creepy and weird for him to handle. Not that he could handle tears very well, but at least that was a  **normal**  response.

...

Layla was silent for days, and it seemed like the smallest thing would set off her tears. Around her, flowers drooped and lost their brilliance, and trees lost handfuls of leaves at a time; it was as if nature itself mourned with her.

At her mother's funeral, Layla stood with her back straight, staring blankly ahead. She didn't seem to hear or see anything, simply allowing her Great Aunt to lead her around. Her friends stayed with her, all dressed in black, even Zach and Ethan. For the most part, they were quiet as well, their eyes following Layla's wooden form as she was strung along from place to person, a puppet on a marionette.

Soon, the house began to empty as the mourners left individually or in small groups. The animals that had been in the house were taken by Ms. Williams friends and coworkers, and given new homes. Eventually, only Layla, her friends, and her Great Aunt remained.

Layla sat on the couch, staring at the junk food that had been put out, knowing how much her mother would have hated the fact that people were eating chips and drinking actual soda in her house. As she sat there, she heard snippets of the conversation between her Great Aunt and friends.

" ... live with me ... sell house ... can't live alone ... move schools ... normal life ... "

The words seemed to stab directly into her heart, and Layla sat there gasping for breath, her whole body shaking and trembling.

"No. No, no, no, no," she repeated, clinging to that one word between short gasps to fill her lungs.

A paper bag was held out to her, and she grabbed it, breathing heavily and calming herself gradually. Layla looked up to see Warren standing in front of her, and nodded her thanks briefly. He nodded once, returning to his seat.

"No to what, dear?" her Great Aunt asked, waiting until Layla had composed herself enough to take the bag away from her mouth.

"I still want to go to Sky High. Please, don't ask me not to use my powers. They've been part of me since I was four; I can't  **not**  use them," Layla said, her tone pleading.

"But dear, I don't live anywhere near Sky High, and have no way of getting you to the bus in the morning. I'm sure there's a school closer to Westville."

"Please, don't take this away from me too," she begged.

Her Great Aunt faltered slightly, the dejected tone in Layla's voice making her teary as well. She hadn't been close to her niece in the past few years, having a differing view on her world views, and turning her nose up at the peace protests she'd gone to almost religiously. She hadn't seen Layla since she was a toddler, and it had been more of a shock to find that her niece had given her custody over Layla on her death. She wondered if she was nothing but a last resort, what with Layla's father running off before she'd given birth.

"I ... I'll see what I can organise with the Principal," she promised, silently hoping that this was the right decision for both of them.

...

End of the first chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

According to Principal Powers, soon after Will and his friends had saved the school and world the year before, Sky High's admissions had risen considerably. It seemed that every fledgling super wanted to attend a school that had  _freshmen_ who could defeat someone like Royal Pain. As such, a new bus route was being organised (with the help of Ron Wilson, bus driver and giant robot fighter) to accommodate the students who lived on the border of Maxville and Westville. This was the area where Layla's Great Aunt lived, and so it was decided that the new route would be implemented sooner rather than later, as a way of thanking Layla for the service she'd done to the school.

Riding along on the bumpy road two weeks later, Layla still wasn't sure this really constituted as a way to say thank you. She looked out of the window, trying to ignore the pain with every bump and pothole they went over.

_Honestly, it felt like the bus driver was **trying**  to hit them all!_

Going over the top of the hill and towards the city, Layla looked out of her window. From this altitude, she could see all of Maxville, the city's skyline littered with skyscrapers, and even her old neighbourhood in the distance. She shut her eyes, intent on keeping them closed until the bus left the freeway.

Her things had been packed and moved to her Great Aunt's house, all of her belongings fitting into thirteen boxes that were still stacked in the corner of the room that she still couldn't call her own. Layla's old house was already up for sale, the newest addition to Stronghold Real Estate. While it had been nice of Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold to offer to sell her old house without any cost to her, there was a coil twisting at the pit of her stomach at the thought of someone else living in the house that she'd lived in since birth.

The bus stopped, doors opened, and when she opened her eyes, Layla smiled briefly at the familiar face that appeared on the steps. Warren ducked his head so he wouldn't hit the frame, scowling at anyone who looked at him for too long, and headed to the back where Layla was sitting.

"Hey, hippie," Warren muttered, taking the empty seat beside her.

She simply nodded, not feeling up to talking this morning. He didn't seem off put or offended by her silence, and simply took a paperback out of his bag. As she had been for the past two weeks, Layla was surprised that Warren was able to read anything with the bus bumping the way it was, but didn't say anything about it, and closed her eyes once more.

The very first time he'd stepped onto the bus, Warren had seen her sitting in the middle area of the bus, looking extremely uncomfortable at how close the boy next to her was sitting to her. Warren had clenched his fists, barely restraining from decking the overeager boy, and with a growl, told her to get up, indicating for her to keep moving down the aisle. He'd glared at the two boys at the back of the bus, who had decided that the one long seat was better as a lounge, and within seconds of his fists flaming, the seat was empty. Layla had been crying all night and didn't have the energy to tell him off like she usually might have. They had the seat to themselves, and the next morning when she'd stepped onto the bus, the back seat was completely empty, despite there being quite a few students already on board. Warren had sat next to her when he got on, pulled out a book and started to read after a small greeting. It was easy to slip into a routine, and after two short weeks, Layla always made sure she was sitting in the back and there was room for Warren beside her.

From the corner of his eye, Warren checked on Layla. She was still dressed in black, her red hair braided back simply and there wasn't a hint of green to be seen. After more than a year of seeing the girl in nothing but green, it was still a shock to the system to see her in a different colour. She wasn't talking this morning, which meant another day of awkward silence in the cafeteria. At least she didn't look like she was going to burst into tears if someone spilled their milk today. Returning his attention back to his book -  _god, where did this driver get his license?_ \- Warren attempted to read a page before getting to Sky High.

...

Will kept glancing at Layla every few minutes, his lunch becoming neglected and cold in the process. She didn't look up from her own food, trying to swallow everything even though it tasted like ash and dust in her mouth. When she took a long drink to wash away the awful taste, Layla noticed that Will was looking at her. She raised her eyebrow, waiting for him to ask whatever it was that seemed to be on his mind.

"Did you want to ... I mean, if you can ... or if your Great Aunt lets you..." he added, a slightly confused frown forming on his face.

"Geez, Stronghold, spit it out already," Warren said, rolling his eyes at him.

"Do you want to come over to study tonight?" Will finally asked.

"Oh, good idea. I seriously need help with that Hero History assignment. I swear, I'm reading the question and it looks like it's in another language," Magenta muttered, shaking her head.

Layla noted the slightly crestfallen look on Will's face, but she had no desire to correct Magenta's assumption that he'd been asking all of them, and nodded with a tiny smile, returning to her dust and ashes.

...

Stepping into the Stronghold residence quietly, Layla nodded politely to the Commander and Jetstream who were on their way to respond to an emergency call from the Mayor. She headed straight into the lounge room and sat on the couch across from Will, still staying silent.

"Bye Will, be good!"

"No parties this time!" the Commander added over his shoulder before his wife took hold of him and flew into the air.

"Never going to live that down," Will muttered, stabbing at his homework forcefully, putting a hole through the entire book. "Oh, great," he sighed heavily, pulling the pen out carefully.

"Hey Will, hey Layla. You haven't already started, have you?" Magenta asked as she came into the lounge room with Zach beside her.

Will looked up quickly, and Layla saw the guilt and surprise in his expression as he looked at her. It was obvious that he hadn't realised that she was in the room.

Layla looked up at Magenta and shook her head in response to her question. Ethan came into the room, grinning as he sat on the lounge across from the two girls. Zach sat on the floor, his long legs stretched out beneath the coffee table. Will stood up quickly, muttering something about finding another notebook before leaving the room.

"What's up with him?" Magenta said, sitting beside Layla.

She simply shrugged and opened her bag to get out her homework.

"Hey, Warren. What're you doing here?" Zach asked, seeing him standing in the doorway.

"Stronghold invited me. Thought I'd see what the great Stronghold residence was like," Warren replied, his expression indifferent, but there was something in his stance that made Layla think he wasn't entirely comfortable.

She smiled at him briefly, patting the empty seat beside her.

"Oh, hey Warren, you made it. Want a soda?" Will asked, holding out a can to him.

"No, thanks."

Will shrugged slightly, moving past him to sit on the empty seat beside Layla, setting the drinks in front of them. He took her hand in his own, resting their joined hands on his leg.

For a moment, Layla simply stared at their joined hands.  _She didn't want to hold his hand_. It reminded her too much of her mother, taking her hand to cross the street when Layla was beginning primary school.  _The time she'd been sick with the flu, her mother's hand in her own, while her free hand stroked her hair gently, feeling her forehead for a high temperature. Her mother's hands in her own, both of them singing and dancing to a cheesy song from the '80's_.

She tried to pull her hand away, but Will's grip instinctively tightened, his attention on his homework again. He squeezed too hard, crushing bones and bruising her hand, and  _she did **not**  want to hold his hand_!

"Ow!" Will cried out, letting go of her and pulling his hand away abruptly.

Layla flexed her hand gently.

"What are those?" Will muttered, peering closely at his hand.

He pulled something out of his hand, holding it up to inspect. It looked remarkably similar to a thorn. Using tweezers, Will pulled four more out of his palm, five drops of blood forming from the tiny holes. There was complete silence as they all stared at the five thorns on the table.

"Did you ... Layla, did you do this?" Will asked, looking at her.

Her face was pale, but she didn't say anything or respond in any other way. Warren's phone rang, acting as a catalyst for noise and movement to return. At the sound, Layla jumped up from her seat, grabbing her bag and leaving the house, not looking at anyone.

Seeing that the call was from Mrs. Woo from the Paper Lantern, Warren answered in Cantonese, his eyes looking to the way Layla had gone.

"Got an extra shift. See you tomorrow," he said after hanging up.

The others barely had time to answer before he left. Stepping out of the house, Warren frowned when he saw that Layla was nowhere in sight.

...

End of the second chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, hippie."

At Warren's voice, Layla looked up at him, wondering why he wasn't in the cafeteria with everyone else. After she'd hurt Will with the thorns yesterday (she'd spent the entire night replaying it in her mind, and as she was the only one who could control plants, there was little to do but accept that she had injured her boyfriend for holding her hand), she'd run to the bus stop furthest away from Will's house, sitting on the kerb to wait for the next bus to her Great Aunt's house. As she'd sat there, all of the weeds in the concrete wilting, Layla decided to avoid Will for a few days. She'd apologise when it had blown over, when he wouldn't wince at the sight of her, or just be a jerk.

"Cafeteria's too noisy, came out here to get some quiet," Warren explained, moving to sit beside her on the wall.

She nodded in response, poking at her salad listlessly.

They were silent for a while, the only noise her chewing slightly (still tasting only ash and dust) and drinking afterwards to swallow, and Warren turning the pages of his book. Layla finished eating, putting her lunch bag back in her school bag to reuse tomorrow. Warren didn't seem inclined to look away from his book, and without a sound to protest his silence, Layla looked away from him and played with the hem of her shirt.

She was still wearing black, the colour making her look as washed out as she felt. Her mother probably would have wanted her to only think about the good times they'd had together rather than mourn and turn into a silent emotional basket case, but Layla couldn't  **not** mourn. It might have sounded odd to others, but she'd truly loved and respected her mother. She had been her friend as well as a parent, and even the simple act of returning home to her mother's tired or smiling face was no longer an option. She would never be able to share a joke with her mother, laugh at something together, hug her, or watch her at work with the animals she had adored. The emotions twisted at her heart, as if thorns were piercing the organ until no blood or life remained.

"Ow! Careful there, hippie," Warren said suddenly, standing abruptly, brushing a vine away from the seat of his jeans.

Pulled out of her thoughts, Layla looked over to him, and saw vines sprouting out of the ground, simple weeds turned into something vicious. The vines were circling around him as they had done to her only weeks ago. She looked up at him silently, attempting to judge the expression on his face. Warren didn't seem concerned about the vines so much as the fact that they had almost pierced through his clothing.

The vines disappeared after a moment, Layla steadying her power and retracting it from the weeds. They returned to their original plant form, and moments later, with her head still filled of thoughts of her mother, the weeds completely died.

If Warren thought anything of it, he didn't say anything as he sat down next to her once more, simply opening his book again.

...

"Layla, is that you?" her Great Aunt called.

"Yes," she called back quietly.

"How was your day at school? Did you learn anything new?" she asked with a smile as she came out of the lounge room.

Layla shrugged briefly. "Not much, mostly revision," she replied.

"Oh, well, that's still nice," she said, faltering for a moment. "What would you like for dinner? I have fish or chicken? Oh, my. I'm sorry, I didn't think..." she cut off awkwardly, remembering too late that Layla was a vegetarian.

"It's okay. I'll make my own," Layla replied, attempting a smile but if her Great Aunt's expression was anything to go by, she failed miserably.

"Are you sure?" she replied, her words hesitant but her expression relieved.

Layla nodded in response, going to the room that was still filled with cardboard boxes.

...

"I want a job," Layla announced a few days later at lunch.

"Take a number, that's what half the kids in here want," Warren muttered in return.

The others gave him scathing looks for not treating her like a porcelain doll as they were, but Layla simply smiled briefly, grateful for his response.

"Not as a super, just as a regular kid. I'm sure someone's hiring."

There was silence for a moment as they all processed her words.

"Please tell me you're not going to work at the mall unless it's a last resort," Magenta said suddenly. "I don't think I like you as much as I hate the mall."

"Um... Thanks?"

"What about school? Don't you want to concentrate on your schoolwork, or something?" Will asked.

"I can manage my time to get it all done," she replied, shrugging.

The rest of lunch was finished in silence, and Layla returned to her soot-flavoured food.

...

"Hey, hippie," Warren greeted her as usual the next morning on the bus.

"Hi Warren."

"An actual verbal response this morning. You must've slept well," he said, grinning at her.

"Something like that," she said, shrugging in response.

She had no idea why she was in such a good mood. She'd slept okay, considering it was only a few hours, but upon waking up, Layla had immediately felt like it was going to be a good day. It was actually a weird feeling to have after being depressed for three straight months. She was even wearing a black and green skirt this morning.

"Oh, were you still wanting a job?" he asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Yes. Why, is there something at the  _Paper Lantern_? Can you even get employee discounts on Chinese food?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Must've been a  _really_ good sleep," Warren muttered to himself before answering her questions. "There aren't any jobs going at the Paper Lantern, and no, I don't get discounts on the food. But if there's a large batch of cooked rice left over at the end of the night, the staff are allowed to take that home free of charge… If Mrs. Woo doesn't catch us," he added with a slight grin. "The reason I was asking is because my mum works in the Mayor's office. There's some internship or apprenticeship going there, and I thought you might be interested."

"A government job? I don't know if I really suit that sort of thing. I was hoping for something more ... outdoors," Layla said with a brief frown.

"Well, there's always that guy's job," Warren said, indicating out the window to a man picking up trash on the side of the road. "Come on, it's  _outdoors_. Just what you wanted," he said, grinning at her.

Layla rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. "You know what I mean. Something that can have an impact. And let me be outside."

"Yeah, and you're living in the wrong state for that sort of job, hippie. The hill the bus goes over every day is the closest thing we have to a mountain, and unless you count the concrete jungle, there's not much in the way of plant life... Besides, if you want to make an impact, where better than a government job? You'd get to work with the Mayor, meet activists, and if you're really good, you could be signing the Mayor's papers that affect decisions about animals and the environment."

"What?"

"You really think the Mayor even looks at what he signs these days? He's got the Commander and Jetstream protecting Maxville so there's all of the extra money floating around with the crime rate practically at zero. Just last week, he gave permission for a new skyscraper to go ahead, just so he can have Jetstream and the Commander at the opening."

"Really? How do you know that?"

"The Mayor approved the building and immediately had my mother send out the invitations," Warren said, grinning.

"Does he even know what the building's for?"

"Probably not," he replied with a shrug.

"So it could be the new super villain headquarters and he's going to invite the two most famous super heroes to the opening?"

"That'd be something. It'd be too easy," Warren muttered.

He kept his voice low and his gaze on the students in front of them. He wasn't concerned about what anyone thought, but since the Homecoming dance, Warren had actually been trying to take Principal Powers advice about not living down his father's reputation. If anyone heard him talking about super villains and capturing super heroes, then all of his work would go to waste. They'd probably start engraving his name on the cell next to his father.

Belts strapped them in, wings glided out and the single exhaust on the back of the bus changed into two large rocket-fuelled exhausts.

"It really would be easy. Especially if..." Layla's words were cut off by a gasp as the bus flew off the freeway.

Her stomach lurched at the sudden change of altitude, and she clutched the bar in front of her, her eyes shut tight.

They were silent for the rest of the trip, but Warren couldn't help wondering if it was a good or bad sign that he wanted Layla to continue talking.

...

After her classes in the morning, Layla decided that she didn't want her good mood to be spoiled by the overwhelming cafeteria atmosphere, and headed outside to eat her lunch. She knew that Will would probably think he was being neglected, but she didn't feel like seeing him today. Sitting on the retaining wall at the front of the school, she opened her brown lunch bag.

It only took a few minutes before she had company, Warren sitting beside her and muttering something about sulking super heroes. Layla grinned slightly and looked to him.

"Did I miss anything in the cafeteria?"

"Apparently Stronghold thinks that your absence from the cafeteria is some form of cold shoulder towards him, or something. I didn't ask for details," Warren muttered.

"Sorry for making you go through that."

He shrugged, grinning briefly. "I'm sure I'll live."

Warren contemplated asking about their earlier conversation, but decided against it. He didn't want to make things uncomfortable.

"So, about that job in the Mayor's office, do I need to apply for it, or can I just talk to your mum about it?" Layla asked.

"Apply for it, I guess. But my mum'll put in a good word for you if you talk to her." They were both silent for a moment, and then Warren continued. "I think you'd be good at that sort of job; gets you a step closer to changing things and seeing how they work on the inside."

"Yeah. It'll be great," she said, grinning. "Do you think she'd mind if I saw her today?"

Warren chewed, thinking it over for a moment. "It should be fine. She should be home early from work today."

Layla rested her head on his shoulder briefly, hugging him around the waist for a moment. "Thank you, Warren."

He stood up quickly, moving away so fast that she almost fell off the wall. "No problem, hippie. See you later," he said, leaving before she could get a word in.

Layla frowned slightly, looking at the wall in case she'd accidentally made vines grow again. There was nothing there. By the time she looked back up, Warren was out of sight.

Making his way straight into the bathroom, Warren turned on the tap and splashed his face with water. His hands were hot, making the water warm and not doing much to help him calm down. When Layla had put her arm around him like that, he'd just had a glimpse of them together, her body naked beneath his and a fire raging around them. It was a small glimpse, which was the only reason his entire body wasn't aflame.

Warren soon convinced himself that it was the product of an overactive imagination. Not to mention he'd been put off of anything remotely sexual after Freeze Girl put her hand down his pants and almost frozen his dick off, despite his body temperature being hotter than most. Warren told himself that he was just frustrated and he'd been reading too many novels, or watching too much TV with all of the objectification of women and whatever. He blamed everything and anything, refusing to contemplate the idea of liking Stronghold's girlfriend.

...

End of the third chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Will knocked on the door, trying to calm his nerves. He was visiting his girlfriend, that was totally normal. Flying over to her Great Aunt's house after finding out her address from the school records?  _Not so much_. Layla wasn't answering her phone, and he'd accidentally broken his by throwing it through the floor. He'd done the same action before, back when he didn't have powers, and it had simply bounced off the carpet. Now, it had put a hole through a layer of carpet, wood, and whatever else the floor was made out of.

 _He'd have to take better care of things_... Will mused, remembering his mother saying similar things to his father after he broke yet another one of the TV remotes when his favourite team lost a game.

Besides, it was completely reasonable that he should see her. Layla was his girlfriend, and since she wasn't answering her phone, he was worried about her. Maybe he could find out why she hadn't talked to him all day.

The door opened, but it wasn't Layla. He smiled briefly, realising that he had no idea what her Great Aunt's name actually was.

"Hello, Will. How are you?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Good, thanks. How are you?" he asked, racking his brain to remember her name. He still came up blank, but she was already replying and didn't seem to notice.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. Layla isn't home yet, and I don't think she'll be back for a while. She's over at your friend's house. The one with the streaks?" she said, unable to think of the young man's name.

"Oh, right. Of course. I completely spaced on that. Sorry to bother you," he said, leaving before she could say anything else. It was way too uncomfortable having a conversation with someone whose name you'd forgotten.

Will made sure no one was around, running for a few metres before jumping and flying into the air. At least he already knew where Magenta lived.

...

Warren sighed, hanging up the phone from a conversation with his mother. She was running late, and the Mayor had just called an emergency meeting with all of his staff members, so she probably wouldn't be home for another hour or two yet. He explained this to Layla, but she didn't seem to mind at the delay.

"I'm happy to wait. If you don't mind, that is?" she added, watching him.

He did mind. A hell of a lot, in fact. He'd spent most of the afternoon trying not to think about Layla in her Homecoming dress.  _One green strap fallen over her shoulder as he held the material up around her hips, her legs wrapped around him as he_... Realising that Layla was waiting for an answer, Warren hurried to stop thinking those types of thoughts.

"No, I don't mind," he said, thankful that his voice hadn't gone up a pitch.

"Great. Thanks, Warren," she said, smiling at him brightly.

He managed a small smile in return, immediately wanting to chastise himself. Or go have a very cold shower.

Layla didn't seem to notice, taking out her homework and resting her notebook on her knees. She looked up at him, frowning slightly when she saw he hadn't moved. "Are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

Warren nodded silently, taking a seat beside her and grabbing his own homework from the coffee table.

They worked together in silence for an hour. Warren had only looked up once, and on seeing Layla sucking on her pen, the plastic length sliding between her lips, he had immediately looked back to his own work and refused to look up again.

"You know what's really weird?" Layla asked eventually.

"What?" he asked tersely, still not looking up.

"Heroes and sidekicks. They never seem to work together to do anything. They work alongside each other, but they always seem to split up at one crucial point in order to do something or find someone. Of course, that's usually the point that one of them gets caught by the villains and the other one has to rescue them."

Warren looked up at that, wondering how this conversation reminded him of their one earlier that day. "Splitting up covers more distance," he said, shrugging.

 _Come on, that was the basics of hero training_.

"No," Layla said vehemently, shaking her head. "All it does is just create vulnerability. Together, you're more of a threat. Individually, you're just a person... I mean, Sky High encourages heroes to choose sidekicks that will complement their own powers, and they'll eventually come to rely on that person and their skills. By splitting them up, both the hero and sidekick can be overwhelmed by whatever they can't handle on their own... That's why there should be two corridors at any evil lair's entrance. It's fairly simple, really."

"Sounds simple," Warren replied with a nod, frowning slightly. "Too simple, though. I mean, not all heroes have sidekicks," he said, trying to think of an example. "Jetstream didn't have a partner until the Commander."

"Actually, that's not true," a familiar voice said.

Warren looked up at his mother and tried to repress the sudden feeling of guilt at the topic of conversation. He wondered how much she'd heard, wondering if she was looking at him and seeing his father instead. However, his mother simply continued talking and didn't seem fazed, so he doubted that she'd heard anything other than his last sentence.

"Jetstream did have a sidekick after attending Sky High. Poor girl was killed after being caught by the Spinner Sisters. Those two were as bad as bad could be. I think your father looked up to them at one point in his career," she added, shaking her head.

"What did they do?" Layla asked curiously.

"Besides kill Jetstream's sidekick?" she asked, frowning briefly. "Well, they tried to take over the city. They spun huge webs across the roads and buildings. No one could go anywhere. Luckily, most superheroes secret sanctum's have different exits from their houses... Turns out that the Spinner Sisters were vulnerable to bug spray," she mused, shaking her head at the memory. "So, Warren, are you going to introduce me to your friend, or do I have to continue down Memory Lane for the rest of the night?" she asked, grinning.

"Sorry, mum. This is Layla Williams. Layla, this is my mum," Warren introduced quickly.

"Hello, Ms. Peace, it's nice to meet you," Layla said, standing to shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Layla," she replied warmly. "You're the one who wants the apprenticeship at the Mayor's office, right?"

"Yes, Ms. Peace, that's me."

"Why do you want the job?"

Warren watched as his mother sat across from Layla. There was an itching feeling at his head, making him want to leave the room as soon as possible. He stood up, both women oblivious to him. Going into the kitchen, the feeling disappeared immediately. Warren's hands erupted in an bright flash of flames. He hated it when his mother used her power on him like that. She could have just  _asked_  him to leave, and he would have done it, but to be pushed out and betrayed by his own feelings was something he loathed.

It was one of the reasons that his parents had argued so much whenever they were together; his father screaming that she had forced him to feel something, her mother denying it and then in the next breath, threatening to make him feel those very feelings if he didn't stop screaming, to which he responded to with more screams. It was a never-ending cycle of screaming, fire-fuelled emotions and broken furniture.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Warren waited until the flames disappeared before getting things out to cook dinner. He hoped Layla was going well at her first test to get the job.

...

Will landed down the street from Magenta's house and walked up the path to her house. He could hear laughter coming from the front yard, and grinned slightly when he saw Magenta running after her brother, spraying him with water from a long purple hose.

"Hey, Maj," he called, waving a hand to her.

Magenta paled slightly, the hose limp in her hand. "Will! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Layla. Is she around?"

"No," she replied with a frown. "I haven't seen her since this afternoon at school."

"Oh," Will said dejectedly.

 _Maybe Layla's Great Aunt had been lying for her, and she just hadn't wanted to see him after all_.

"Come play!" Magenta's brother called, grinning up at Will.

He grinned back at him, opening the gate and stepping inside. "What are you playing?"

"Water dragons!" he replied excitedly, tugging on Will's hand, happy that he had another person to play with.

"So, do the dragons fly?" Will asked, dropping his bag by the gate.

"No! They're  _water_  dragons, silly! They swim!"

"Of course they do," he said. "Oof!" he called out in surprise as Magenta's brother squealed and ran away, still pulling on Will's hand.

After the initial surprise, Will let himself be pulled along, laughing as he gently picked the boy up to run away from a water-wielding Magenta faster.

It wasn't until Magenta's mother called out for them to come in for dinner that Will realised he'd stayed longer than he meant to. As he went inside, he bumped into Magenta. He apologised quickly, suddenly noticing just how wet they both were. He could see every curve of her body, and  _oh, no_.  _That was a very bad thought_.

Magenta was Zach's girlfriend (or maybe it was wishful thinking on Zach's part. Will wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was, and somehow doubted that Zach knew either), and it was extremely bad to be noticing things like curves, even if her clothes were clinging to her. He looked away quickly, and was subsequently hit in the head with a purple towel.

"Come on, Will. You're going to freeze to death if you don't get warm. Dinner's getting cold," Magenta called, turning and heading back inside.

She chewed on her lip anxiously, the urge to become a guinea pig almost overwhelming her, as it hadn't done since she was too young to handle her emotions. In those days, she'd run around as a small unnoticeable creature for hours on end the moment something made her too emotional. She'd learnt how to control herself better since then, and now separated her emotions so she could live normally. But now... Now, she'd noticed the look on Will's face -  _the boy wore his emotions on his sleeve, honestly!_ \- and she'd immediately felt overwhelmingly guilty about Zach. While they weren't girlfriend-boyfriend per se, they were still  _something_... And despite not wanting to admit it, Magenta had been looking at Will just like he'd been looking at her.

When Will was as dry as he figured he was going to get, he went out to the front to get his bag and text his parents that he was at a friend's for dinner. He didn't specify which friend, pushing away his guilt as he headed to the back garden to enter Magenta's house for dinner. Will found that he'd been more comfortable hanging out with Magenta for the past few hours than he'd been with Layla for months, even before her mother's death. He'd actually been leading up to breaking up with her during one of the awkward and uncomfortable silences they'd been having, but had stopped himself. Will enjoyed having someone to kiss and walk hand-in-hand with. As with taking years to admit that he didn't have powers to his parents, Will wasn't big on confrontation. Besides, Layla had just had a huge loss in her life, and probably couldn't handle another one.

"All right there, Will?" Magenta asked, grinning up at him.

 _The purple streaks in her hair really looked nice_ , Will thought to himself, nodding in response quickly. He took the seat beside her, trying to ignore the warmth of her leg against his. He accepted the plate of meat, a small relief to be able to eat it without Layla's disapproving look across from him.

Will pushed away all thoughts of Layla, of Zach, and enjoyed himself for the first time in too long.

...

Layla smiled at Ms. Peace, trying to ignore the prickling feeling in her head that made her want to spill her deepest and darkest secrets.

 _This was Warren's mum, and why on earth was she more nervous about meeting this woman compared to her first meeting with Jetstream? Was it because she'd been too young to understand the severity of meeting another super?_  Layla wondered, immediately dismissing the thought.  _She'd always known exactly what it meant to meet Jetstream, Will's mother. This was something_ _ **different**_.

The prickling sensation became worse, and Layla noticed the intense look of concentration on Ms. Peace's face.  _She was using her power on her!_  she thought, the realisation accompanied with many emotions, but she wasn't shocked or indignant at the intrusion. In fact, there was a kernel of intrigue mixed along with other emotions, making her wonder if Ms. Peace did this to every person she met, and how interesting it would be to see how far her powers could be pushed against a person to make them reveal every single thing about themselves. If she was a super villain, then one of the first people she'd recruit would be this woman.

"What are you thinking about?" Ms. Peace asked casually.

The sensation in her head became worse, and Layla almost doubled over in pain. Her hands shook and she tried to repress the trembling. She immediately knew that she couldn't tell the truth. She'd never get a job working for the Mayor with those sort of thoughts. "I was thinking about my mother."

She almost sighed in relief when the pressure disappeared, and Layla frowned slightly when she saw Ms. Peace's expression. It was a mix of horror, pity and an ounce of regret. Layla wondered if she'd ever regretted using her power before.

"I am so sorry, Layla... Do you think she would have liked you working for the Mayor?"

This time there was no desperate need to answer the question, and Layla relaxed slightly. "Well, he wasn't her favourite person, considering the amount of local deforestation that happened in order to put up a new skyscraper," Layla said, and kept her grin in check when Ms. Peace's eye twitched slightly. "However, I think that my mother would have liked that I was attempting to do something positive and helpful in my own way. If it was the wrong choice, then she would have let me discover that on my own, but she was always supportive of me and my choices."

Layla clenched her hands tightly, and she could feel something just beneath her skin, something waiting patiently and growing until the right time. She had no idea what  _it_  was, but she instinctively knew that it had something to do with those vines that had entered her when her mother died, as well as the thorns she'd hurt Will with, and the vines that had circled Warren earlier. Whatever was inside of her was special, and she had to keep it a secret.  _She would keep it safe and it would protect her_...

"Your mother sounded like she was a wonderful woman. I'm sorry I never had a chance to meet her."

"She was a wonderful woman," Layla agreed quietly.

Warren knocked on the doorframe, looking hesitant for a moment. "I've finished dinner. Are you ready to eat?" he asked, looking to both of them.

"Yes, thank you, dear. We'll eat at the table," his mother replied, standing and indicating for Layla to go first.

Uncertain of where to go, Layla was grateful when Warren nodded his head towards a door, and went in the indicated direction.

To her credit, Ms. Peace didn't say a thing when her son served a simple bowl of mac-and-cheese to them. Layla's cheeks reddened slightly as she realised that he'd done it for her. Will had never done something like this; he'd always pulled faces at the salads and vegetarian meals she ate, scoffing his own meat-filled plate while judging her. She'd assumed it came from his parents, who had continued to offer her bacon and other meats, despite knowing her mother's power all those years.

"I don't mind if people eat meat while I'm with them; you didn't have to do this, Warren," she said quietly.

"Just say thank you, hippie," he said, rolling his eyes as he sat down next to her.

"Thank you."

Ms. Peace grinned slightly, starting on her meal. It had been quite some time since she'd eaten mac-and-cheese, and while she was sure she'd go for a cheeseburger later, it was amusing to see her son taking someone else's feelings into consideration.

...

After dinner, Ms. Peace had insisted that it was too late for Layla to catch a bus home, and offered for her to stay over, adding that Warren could sleep on the couch. Despite her initial protests, Layla soon found herself calling her Great Aunt to let her know that she would be staying at Warren's home for the night. She felt slightly guilty when she was told that Will had come over looking for her, but the emotion was overcome by the opportunity to get a job. Deciding to text him to let him know that she'd see him at school tomorrow, Layla did so and then pocketed her phone. With that settled, she went to go argue on the sleeping arrangements.

"I don't want to kick Warren out of his own bed, Ms. Peace. I'd feel awful about doing that to him, and I'm sure that the lounge would be much more comfortable for me than him," she added, looking up slightly at Warren's taller stature.

"It's fine; I'll sleep on the couch," Warren said, scratching at his head briefly.

"Please, I insist. I'll be far more comfortable out here than in a strange bed. Really, Ms. Peace, I promise I'll be fine," she said, pleading with the woman one last time.

There was a very long moment of silence, and then, for the first time in years, Warren watched as his mother relented to another's request.

"Very well then. But Warren will make up the couch for you, so if you're  **not**  comfortable, then you'll have someone to blame," Ms. Peace said, her tone leaving no room for discussion.

Not wanting to push their luck, both Warren and Layla nodded in agreement. After her long day at work, Ms. Peace said that she was exhausted and went to bed, telling them not to stay up much longer so they could be refreshed for school in the morning. Warren grinned at Layla slightly, heading to the linen cupboard to get sheets and a blanket for her.

"Are you sure you'll be all right on the couch? I really don't care if I sleep on it," he said as he helped set up the bedding.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're a whole foot taller than me, Warren. You wouldn't fit on here comfortably. Besides, I refuse to throw you out of your own room," Layla added. She frowned slightly. "Where is your room, anyway?"

"At the end of the hall."

"Can I see it?" she asked, grinning.

Warren was startled at her request, and tried to remember if his room was clean or not. He shrugged slightly, following her down the hall to his room.

Layla stopped in front of his door so suddenly that he walked into her, his hands on her waist as he steadied both of them. Warren's eyes closed for a brief moment as he breathed in her scent -  _honeysuckle and a heady grape-vine scent that he'd never smelled before, but immediately known_  - and he hurried to open his eyes and let go of her when he realised what he was doing. Layla flushed slightly, but she hadn't moved or pushed him away.

They were both silent as Layla opened his door, and Warren stayed back as she stepped inside. He liked the idea of her in his room far too much.  _Layla on his bed, or pressed up against a wall, his hands on her body, her hands on his body, kissing each other as the heat consumed them_.

Layla looked at everything with interest, noticing that all of his furniture was black. She wasn't sure if they were burned that way, or originally that colour. He had no posters on his walls, but there were remnants of blu-tac and sticky tape, as if everything else paper-based had burned away. A small stack of books were in the corner, a bucket of water in front of them. Dark red sheets and a similarly coloured bedspread were on his bed, much neater than she had expected.

"What do you think, hippie?" he asked with a slight grin, leaning against the doorframe.

"I love it," she replied with a brilliant smile.

"Really?" Warren asked in surprise.

"Really," she replied, nodding. "It's so ... you," Layla said. "Which sounds really corny, so ignore that... What's the bucket of water for? To put out any fires?"

"No, I can put them out myself if I choose to. The water protects the books. If a blaze gets this close, then the water boils instead of the books catching on fire."

"That's a really smart idea," she said, impressed.

"Thanks. Found out by accident when I was doing the dishes at  _Paper Lantern_  early last year."

"Do you light fires accidentally often?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Not usually, but sometimes my emotions can get away from me."

"I know what you mean," Layla murmured with a nod.

"Your power doesn't seem very emotion-based," Warren said, choosing his words carefully.

"No, but my emotions affect my power, just as yours does. I mean, you saw what happened with Will just because he held my hand when I didn't want him to."

"Would you do the same thing now?"

"What?"

"If someone held your hand? Would you do that thing again?"

"I ... I don't know," Layla said, looking down at his hand for a moment. "I can try, see what happens."

Warren held both of his hands out, waiting patiently for her to take them. She did so hesitantly, wincing slightly as she expected to sting him with thorns. Nothing happened, and Layla opened her eyes, looking at their clasped hands in surprise.

"Do you trust me?" he asked after some silence, their hands still joined.

Layla nodded. Warren grinned at her apprehensive look and their hands lit up with flames. She stared, but didn't cry out. The fire wasn't burning her or painful in any way. In fact, it seemed to wash over her skin like stepping into a bath.

"Can I try something?" she asked hesitantly, looking up at him, the shadows of the flames dancing on their faces. "Do you trust me?"

This time, Warren nodded in response. Layla looked at their hands for a moment, thorny vines wrapping around their hands. The fire continued to burn, and before their eyes, tiny green buds began to grow. At Layla's insistence, Warren put more heat and energy into the flames, and the buds burst into bloom, brilliant red, black and green flowers encircling their hands. Slowly, they both let their powers fade and Warren inched closer to Layla, her eyes closing in anticipation.

"Good night, kids! Sleep well!"

They jumped apart, Layla's face red and Warren letting go of her hands as if he'd been scalded.

"Thank you, Ms. Peace! You too," Layla called back. She turned to Warren, her face still red. "I'd better go now. Good night, Warren," she said, smiling at him briefly before leaving.

"Good night," he said after her quietly.

The door shut with a gust of hot wind, and inside a fire raged. Sleeping on the couch that night, Layla used a few plants to keep her cocooned and comfortable, the black, red and green petals as soft as feathers.

...

End of the fourth chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

...

Despite waking up with crumpled hair, Layla told herself that she wouldn't let things be awkward with Warren. She straightened out her gym shirt the best she could, not wanting to wear the same shirt to school for a second day in a row.

Warren had come out, looked at her for a moment, and immediately returned to his room. She frowned slightly, wondering if her hair really was that bad. When he'd come out a few moments later with a black shirt for her, offering it silently, Layla thanked him and hurried to the bathroom to put it on before he changed his mind.

Neither Ms. Peace nor Warren were morning people it seemed, and Layla had come out of the bathroom to find both of them holding coffee mugs. She'd accepted the offer for juice and a slice of toast reluctantly, and only because she needed to eat. Warren had sat across from her with a piece of toast for himself as well, but mainly drank the coffee instead of eating. Soon after she'd finished the coffee and looked somewhat alert, Ms. Peace bid them both farewell and left, her car pulling out of the driveway moments later.

Warren tried not to look up at Layla sitting across from him; the erotic dreams he'd had the night before still lingering in his mind.  _Layla had been naked before him, a vine the only thing wrapped around her. When he'd tried to burn it away, the vine had burst into bloom. He'd moved to her, the flowers falling away as they kissed, her fingernails digging into his shoulders_. It had been so realistic that Warren woke up with sore shoulders. And a raging hard on.

He'd taken a shower as cold as he could handle, trying not to think of Layla on the other side of the door, her body covered with nothing but a light blanket and plants. And then, after everything, he'd come out of his room to see her in that ridiculously light-coloured gym shirt that he swore he could see right through. He knew that he wouldn't be able to control himself, and had immediately found his cleanest and darkest shirt for her to wear instead, one that covered her shoulders as well. Instead of making it better, it had made his thoughts worse...  _Now he was imagining Layla in one of his shirts, the material sliding up her thighs as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him_.

"Do we need to leave soon, Warren?" Layla asked, pulling him out of his imaginings.

He glanced at his watch, nodding quickly. "We've got to run."

Layla hurried to take their plates and glasses to the kitchen, a vine wrapped around the glasses so they wouldn't fall in her rush.

Warren picked up her bag, slinging his own over his shoulder. Layla met him at the door, taking her bag from him with a quick thanks and stepping outside. It took him a moment to lock the door, and they ran down the driveway, onto the path and down the street to the bus stop.

The bus was just pulling up as they rounded the corner. Warren swore softly, grabbing Layla's waist, lifting her and running towards the bus. When they were close enough, Layla threw out a vine, wrapping it around the bus' side mirror, pulling them in quicker than Warren was running.

She let the vine disappear back into her body, feigning innocence as she stepped onto the bus step, Warren behind her and glaring menacingly. The bus driver kept his eyes straight ahead, a tick in his jaw indicating that he wasn't happy. The door closed behind them, and the bus took off before they'd moved to their usual seat. Layla rolled her eyes, hoping that the driver now thought them to be even. There were no more incidents, and Warren eventually stopped glaring, taking a book out of his bag to read.

...

Layla's phone began to ring as she left the classroom for lunch, and she indicated for the others to go ahead, escaping outside by the closest door to have some quiet in order to answer the call from Ms. Peace.

"Hello, Ms. Peace. Fine, thank you. How are you?" she answered politely, her foot tapping out her nerves.

The conversation was short, and as she listened to Ms. Peace talk, Layla's heart and hopes began to sink.

"... You have until 5pm tomorrow to think about the offer. I really hope to hear back from you soon, Layla," Ms. Peace added.

"Thank you, Ms. Peace. I will think about it, thank you," Layla said automatically, hanging up from the call after saying goodbye.

Slipping her phone back into her pocket, Layla tugged on the shirt's long sleeves nervously before heading back inside to grab her lunch and head to the cafeteria.

...

Magenta definitely  _wasn't_  thinking about Will's leg against her own, her skin seeming to tingle pleasantly at the places their knees were touching. She'd hoped and worried at the same time that Will wouldn't sit next to her, but he'd arrived soon after she had and had taken the seat next to her as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Zach sat on the other side of her, Ethan sitting next to Will. It had become routine for them to sit on one side with Warren getting the opposite side of the table to himself, unless Layla sat in the cafeteria with them. Today, as usual, Layla was the last one to arrive.

Magenta definitely wasn't hoping that she would eat outside, leaving her to sit beside Will without feeling guilty.  _Of course she wasn't_. She moved away from Will slightly when she saw Layla enter the cafeteria.

Magenta absolutely, definitely was  **not**  thinking about Will's lips, or the way he'd looked at her after they'd kissed just last night. She wasn't imagining kissing him again, his lips soft against hers as she clung to him, amazed as he flew them above her house, kissing her with all the time in the world...  _Definitely not_.

She frowned when she realised that she finally recognised the large, long-sleeved black and red shirt that Layla was wearing. Magenta was fairly sure that Layla had been wearing that same green skirt the day before too.

"You're wearing Warren's shirt," she said suddenly, her eyes wide as she stared at Layla. "It's been driving me nuts all day, but just then when I saw you walking across, I recognised the shirt because that's what Warren wore when he and Will had that fight in the cafeteria last year," she said.

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed Magenta's words. Ethan looked over to the wall where the plaster and paint job was still fairly obvious. Zach frowned slightly at Magenta's sudden explosion of fast-paced words. Will stopped drinking his juice and simply stared at Layla, looking from her shirt to Warren.

"Why  **are**  you wearing Warren's shirt, Layla?" Ethan asked, frowning at her.

Across from her, Will was staring, his expression a mix of confusion, suspicion, fear and some other emotions he couldn't even put a name to.

"I went over to Warren's house last night to talk with his mother about a job in the Mayor's office. I ended up staying later than expected, slept on their couch, and this morning, Warren gave me this shirt to wear since my gym one was crumpled and my other shirt smelled," she explained, her words and tone clear, no hint of remorse or guilt in her expression.

She had done nothing wrong, and therefore, had nothing to feel guilty about.  _She just wouldn't mention or think about the almost-kiss_.

"You ... you kissed him, didn't you?" Will said, glaring at her. He didn't dare glare at Warren, and kept his gaze focused on Layla. "I can't believe you'd do that, Layla! You're supposed to be my girlfriend, and then you go around kissing my best friend behind my back!"

Layla looked stunned at his words, the entire cafeteria going silent at his accusations. Across the cafeteria, a chair scraped along the floor as a boy stood up, a smirk on his face.

"Actually, Stronghold, you're the one in the wrong. You kissed Magenta behind your girlfriend's back, even though you knew ...  _Zach_  liked her," he said, looking at the paling blonde boy. "Don't try to lie when you're sitting in the same room as a telepath, idiot," the guy called, grinning when noise exploded in the cafeteria once more. He took his seat once more, his friends congratulating him.

"Will? Did you  _kiss_   **Magenta**?" Zach asked, his voice as hurt as his expression. He turned to Magenta when Will was silent. "Maj? Is what that guy said the truth?"

Neither one answered, keeping their gazes firmly on their lunch trays before them. Looking helpless, Zach looked to the others sitting with them. Layla was simply staring at Will and Magenta in shock. Ethan looked extremely uncomfortable and shocked as well. Warren looked over to the telepath across the room, telling him  _exactly_  what he thought of him, before turning to his crushed friend.

"That guy is an asshole... He loves to fuck around with people by telling the truth when they don't want the truth known. Sorry, dude, but he's probably right," Warren said as sympathetically as he could manage.

Layla stood up, looking a little lost. She glanced at Will, opened her mouth, as if going to say something, but then shook her head and turned around, leaving the cafeteria without a word.

Zach left moments later, rubbing at his eyes and only just managing to walk out of the doorway without banging into the door itself. Ethan was silent as he melted down and slid away, trying not to be noticed.

"That guy's an asshole, Stronghold, but you know what? You're worse," Warren said, grabbing his bag and leaving.

He kept his thoughts purposely vague so that the telepathic asshole couldn't pick up on his own guilt. But hell, at least he hadn't acted on it.

Will and Magenta sat side by side in the cafeteria, their faces burning as everyone around them talked about them.

"Hey," Warren said quietly as he approached Layla.

She looked up at him, her eyes full of tears.

"Shit, Layla, don't cry over him. You said it yourself last year: he's a jerk," he muttered, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders.

She leaned against him, slow tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Is... Is Zach all right?" she asked eventually, wiping her tears away on her sleeve. "He's really a good guy, and he doesn't deserve this," Layla said.

"I don't know. I figure he's in the bathroom, but the light in there is so bright that I couldn't even open the door without it hurting me."

"That's interesting," Layla said, sitting up straighter and clamping her hand over her mouth. She lowered her hand slowly, staring at Warren with red eyes. "What's  **wrong**  with me? He's in there, probably going through the worst emotional pain he's felt in sixteen years, and I'm saying it's  _interesting_  because his powers have changed? There's something seriously wrong with me," she whispered, shaking her head.

Warren was silent for a moment. He couldn't agree with there being something wrong with her, because he'd be lying if his thoughts hadn't strayed along a similar thread on seeing the bright light beneath the door.

"So... Have you heard from my mum yet?" he asked, hoping to change the subject completely and take her mind off her own emotional pain.

She sniffed slightly, wiping her eyes on the shirt again. "Yeah, before lunch. Apparently, the Mayor's very impressed with your mother's description and first impression of me, but..." Layla sighed softly before continuing, "But, I need to be a Hero, not Hero Support, in order to work for the Mayor. Something about his image and positive thinking of Heroes. It's ridiculous, of course, but I won't get the job if I'm not classed as a Hero."

Warren rolled his eyes. "Sounds about right. The Mayor's an elitist, and he went to an all-Hero school back when they existed, so he's biased towards Heroes, and never hires sidekicks."

"Could've mentioned that before," Layla muttered briefly, grinning when he nudged her.

"Why? You've impressed my mother, and she's the first person to get through in order to get any job in the Mayor's office. Besides, after Homecoming last year, you could get onto the Hero track faster than you could click your fingers. I'm surprised you weren't automatically transferred," Warren added with a slight frown.

"I told Principal Powers not to transfer me. I wanted to stay a sidekick."

"Any life-altering reason why?"

Layla sighed heavily, picking at a loose thread on her skirt. "I thought that by staying a sidekick when I've got powers more suited to a Hero, I'd be able to break down the wall between the two tracks," she said.

Warren was silent for a long moment. "That's the second-stupidest thing I've ever heard you say, hippie. All you're doing is holding yourself back by not properly learning how to use your power."

"Second-stupidest thing? What's the first?" Layla asked, frowning slightly.

"I'm going to go with the employee discounts at the  _Paper Lantern_ ," he replied, grinning.

Layla laughed softly, nudging him. "You're cra-azy, Warren."

She wasn't offended by his words, as she could see what Warren meant by holding herself back (her mother may have mentioned something similar when she'd told her that she was a sidekick, but she hadn't listened then), but she'd also been younger, naive, and had wanted to save the world. Layla had thought that if she could change how things were run in high school, then maybe she'd have a better understanding of how to change the world below Sky High. So far it was just politics and popularity.

But now she'd gained a better perspective on life. Her mother had died, Will and Magenta had betrayed her, her old house had been sold, she'd been forced to live with a woman who she just couldn't relate to, and everything that she thought she'd wanted now seemed as childish as candy-flavoured clouds. Life wasn't fair.

It was amazing how much could change in the space of twelve months, just like a flower dying in the autumn and winter months only to come back stronger and more beautiful in the spring.

"So, what are you going to do about the job?"

"I'll think about it some more. I don't want to make a rash decision and end up regretting it."

"How long do you have to think about it?" Warren asked, glancing at his watch.

"Until 5pm tomorrow."

"That's plenty of time. Sleep on it tonight, see how you feel in the morning, and then go from there. We can talk about it on the bus tomorrow if you're still undecided," Warren added, standing up.

The bell rang moments later, and Layla stood up as well, heading inside with Warren by her side.

...

Deciding that Warren had made sense in his idea to sleep on the job offer, Layla also thought it would be a good idea to search the Internet to see what requirements were needed for superhero and sidekick jobs. She switched on her computer, opening her browser and logging into the super's job database. There weren't many jobs listed, considering that Jetstream and the Commander had the monopoly on most of them (which had come at the cost of a lot of annual dinners, hefty donations, and long hours spent on the golfing range with the Mayor and his wife), but some jobs were still listed. Ten measly jobs that the Commander and Jetstream probably deemed beneath them.

Out of the ten, only one was for a sidekick, and after reading the requirements ( _applicant must be able to handle pressure while possibly being lowered into a vat of acid or toxic waste; be well versed in unarmed combat or equivalent street fighting skills; and be flexible about job hours, colours, and catch phrases_ ), Layla found that being a sidekick didn't exactly lead to a life of luxury. Or even a life of moderate comfort. The superhero jobs were extremely different, with the worst criteria involving their dramatic poses for the news cameras, the sound effects required when punching and otherwise defeating the villains, and their ability to resist the temptation of the Big Red Button.

She'd been curious enough to wonder what super villain jobs were available, if they even advertised such positions. The search results had all been blocked, and on hearing tires screeching outside, Layla looked out of her window to see an unfamiliar van parked in front of the house. She was certain that it hadn't been there earlier, knowing that she would have remembered a vehicle that included a large satellite dish on the roof. She moved away from the window when the satellite dish swivelled towards her, and decided that turning off the computer would probably be a good thing right about then.

Turning off the computer, Layla went to her bed and thought about her initial principles about the unfairness of the two tracks in Sky High, and how they were changing now that her life had become so different. Yet Layla hadn't gone over to the Hero track when Will was transferred last year.  _She'd stuck to her principles back then, when the boy she thought she loved had moved to a class that she could have easily followed him to, so what was so different this time around_?

The answer came almost immediately: she was doing this for herself. She could stay where she was - limiting her potential, as Warren (and the super-related jobs she'd looked at) had said - or she could step up to the plate and let herself try to be the very best super that she could be.

Layla rolled onto her side, closing her eyes and intending on napping until her Great Aunt came home. When she was awake, she could tell her about the job and maybe they could bond over something that didn't involve her mother's death...

On arriving home later that night and finding Layla asleep, her Great Aunt decided to let her continue sleeping, and went to her own room to sleep after a long night out with her friends. She wondered when Layla would finally unpack her belongings.

...

End of the fifth chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

"I've made a decision about the job," Layla said, smiling as Warren sat beside her on the bus.

"Good morning to you too," he muttered sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at her.

She was wearing a black and green shirt today with a green skirt, and black stockings. Still in mourning, but if the return of colours was anything to go by, it seemed that Layla was beginning to heal.

"Good morning, how are you?" Layla asked, waiting somewhat impatiently for an answer so she could continue with her decision.

"Fine. So, what are you doing about the job?" Warren asked.

"I'm going to change to the Hero track."

"Good for you. You don't happen to have any coffee on you?" he muttered, yawning.

"No, I keep the espresso machine in my  _other_  bag," Layla said sarcastically, put out that he wasn't as excited over her decision as she was.

"Bring that bag tomorrow then," Warren said, closing his eyes and leaning back on the seat.

Layla glowered at him for a few minutes before realising that he wasn't paying her any attention, and relented out of boredom. She'd been hesitant about leaving the house this morning, but was glad when she'd discovered that the nondescript van with it's ridiculous satellite dish wasn't there anymore.

Opening her bag, Layla took a book out and tried to read. The driver seemed to be learning where the potholes and bumps on the road were, and started to avoid them. Now, some of the braver (or desperate) students tried to study on the bus ride to Sky High. It was a much smoother ride when they were airborne, as this driver didn't go as fast as Ron Wilson (bus driver and giant robot fighter).

"Warren? We're here," she said, shaking him gently after they'd landed and he still hadn't moved.

"Go'way," Warren groaned, trying to turn away from her.

He smacked into the window, and pulled away sharply, muttering under his breath.

"Come on, you two!" the driver called.

"Yeah, we're coming," Warren replied, glaring.

Layla grabbed his bag when he walked down the aisle without it. "Forgetting something?" she said with a grin, holding the bag out to him.

"Thanks," he muttered briefly, slinging it over his shoulder, waiting for her to step off the bus before following her down. The bus pulled away with a screech of tires, heading to the bus shed. "I'll see you at lunch when I'm awake," Warren added.

Without really thinking and his brain still half asleep, he kissed her. Layla's eyes widened at the unexpected act, and when he realised what he was doing a second or two later, Warren quickly pulled away from her. He left without a word, his cheeks tinged red. She looked after him, positive that she saw a wisp of smoke curling from where his hand was clutching his bag strap.

As she heard the first bell ring for homeroom, Layla hurried to Mr. Boy's class. Along the way, she touched her lips briefly, wondering if it was a good or bad thing that she was enjoying the fact that her mouth felt like it was burning. It was a pleasant burn though, too hot for a tingle, and just a shade cooler than a fiery kiss.

Layla hurried to school her expression before entering the classroom, giving Mr. Boy an apologetic smile and nod. He nodded in return, marking her off the attendance sheet.

"Has anyone heard from Zach this morning?" Mr. Boy asked, looking at the students before him.

Magenta paled slightly, finding the peeling cover of her notebook the most interesting the thing in the world.

"He's home sick today, sir," Ethan said. "He burned out yesterday."

Mr. Boy looked worried at Ethan's choice of words. "Well, I'm sure he'll be fine, and back with us in no time," he said optimistically.

Layla made a mental note to call Zach later and see how he was going. He might have been Will's friend first, but she doubted he'd still consider Will a friend after what he and Magenta had done.

The bell rang to indicate the end of the homeroom session, and Mr. Boy smiled at all of them brightly. "Go on, learn something new and I'll see you later at English for Hero Support!" he called as everyone filed out of the room quickly.

Layla left without waiting for anyone for the first time in almost two years. Magenta looked hurt for a moment, but stayed an appropriate distance away, and was soon looking indifferent once more. Ethan walked between the two, glancing ahead to Layla and then behind to Magenta, wondering who he should side with. In the end, he stayed exactly where he was and silently hoped that Zach would get better soon. He could walk with him then.

...

"Excuse me, Principal Powers?" Layla called, knocking on her door.

"Yes? Oh, Layla, hello," she said pleasantly, recognising her from her deeds the year before. "How can I help you?"

Layla stood before her, feeling nervous suddenly. The last time this particular conversation had occurred, Layla had been very adamant and vehement about her decision to stay a sidekick.

"I'd like to apply to join the Hero track, Principal Powers," she said, her voice surprisingly steady.

Principal Powers looked surprised for a brief moment, but then her expression changed to a pleased one. "I'm very glad for that, Layla. You have to understand that when I offered it to you last year, it was in order to see you succeed. I only have my student's best interests at heart," she added. Picking up her phone, she called Coach Boomer to her office.

He arrived in a few moments, crumbs from his hero sandwich on his jacket. Unlike Principal Powers, Coach Boomer didn't seem as pleased at Layla's decision to change tracks. He remembered her refusal to power up at Power Placement all too well, and wasn't fond of being told what to do by students.

"Well, hurry it up," he muttered sourly.

She nodded briefly, spying a seed on his jacket. With barely a thought, the seed began to grow, unbeknownst to Coach Boomer. Principal Powers could see though, and she was both amused and worried about the girl's choice.

"Is that your power then? Staring intently? Really, there's a bunch of kids down the mall that could do that if you place a five dollar bill in front of them. Come on, Princ..." his complaint cut off with a girlish shriek as the seed grew at a faster rate, wrapping around his torso tightly. "Get it off! Get it off!" he said, unable to move his arms to brush the large vine off his body. "Get. It.  **OFF!** " Boomer bellowed, attempting to displace it with his sonic voice.

On her desk, Principal Powers' glass shattered and she frowned at the mess of glass scattered over her paperwork. Around his shoulders, the vine shuddered slightly, but stayed wrapped around Boomer tightly. It burst into bloom, bright red flowers surrounding him.

"All right, I think that's enough now, Layla," Principal Powers said, her mouth twitching between a frown and a smile.

The flowers wilted, the petals dying and disappearing as they fell to the ground. The vine slithered off of his body, fading down into a seed once more. After a quick nod to Principal Powers, Coach Boomer refused to look at Layla as he left, heading to his own office to throw his sandwich in the bin and order something without any seeds.

"May I ask why you've changed your mind about becoming a Hero?" Principal Powers asked curiously before Layla could leave.

Layla almost went to tell her about the job, but decided that it really wasn't any of her business. She had decided to change to the Hero track, and she'd passed Boomer's inspection. "It's a personal decision, Principal Powers. Thank you for your time," she replied, leaving a moment later.

Sinking onto her seat, Principal Powers sighed softly. The look on Layla's face as she created the vine that wrapped around Boomer's chest, a thick rope that had the potential to crush the very life out of him, had been so  _cold_. As she sent the memo to Mr. Boy for Layla to switch classes that afternoon, Principal Powers hoped that by keeping Layla surrounded by her friends in the Hero track, it would help her realise that there was more to life than death.

...

Warren was worried that his impromptu kiss that morning had driven Layla to jump off the edge of the school. He couldn't find her anywhere; she wasn't in the cafeteria, outside on the wall, at the small garden behind the bus shed, nor in detention.

Just as he gave up his search and decided to call her phone, he rounded the corner to find Layla sitting on the wall calmly eating her lunch.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded, striding over to her.

"I went to see Principal Powers about changing to the Hero track," she replied, looking up at him with a slight frown. "I told you I was changing tracks this morning, Warren... You really need a stronger supply of coffee," she added when he frowned at her in confusion.

Warren groaned, suddenly thinking that hitting his head against the wall sounded like a fantastic idea. "I forgot about that."

 _He'd been thinking about kissing her all morning instead_.

"Have you already eaten?" Layla asked.

"Not yet. Was looking for you," he said, sitting beside her and opening his crushed paper bag.

"Why didn't you just call?"

"Because that would have been desperate... And a ringing phone would have given away your position if you were following someone," he added, trying to make his worry over her into something lighthearted instead.

"Oh, I hate that! If you're going to stalk someone, at least put your phone on silent," Layla muttered.

"Maybe heroes and sidekicks could use phones when they're separated at the entrance of an evil lair."

"I can see the slogan now...  _Phones: helping people not be lowered into vats of toxic waste since 1980_ ," Layla said with a laugh. "But the last I saw, spandex pants don't have pockets to carry phones in."

"You have a pair of spandex pants lying around to check for pockets?"

"They were my mum's. She doesn't have much use for them six feet under."

Warren was silent for a moment, finding it difficult to swallow the lump that his sandwich had become.  _So this was how Layla had felt when he mentioned his father being in solitary_.

"Breathe, Peace. You're not allowed to die choking on a sandwich," Layla said, frowning at him.

He swallowed, taking a drink of water. "So how did you demonstrate your powers to Coach Boomer?" he asked, changing the subject.

Layla didn't seem to mind at the change in the conversation, and grinned at the memory of Boomer's shrieks. She explained what she'd done, and Warren couldn't help but feel impressed by her.

"He's going to want to get revenge for that. You might want to skip the next Save the Citizen. Boomer will probably put you against me and Will."

"You think I won't beat you?" she asked, grinning.

"I don't hit girls. Unless they're trying to kill me," Warren added, thinking of Gwen and Penny - those two he would be more than willing to hit, though for very different reasons.

He hurried to cool his emotions at the thought of that bitch of a cheerleader slapping Layla before his hand burst into flames. Her face had been red for most of the night, and despite the makeup she'd borrowed from Magenta, he had seen the beginnings of a bruise on her cheek.

"How very gallant," Layla said, rolling her eyes. "So if I'm against you in the next Save the Citizen, you'll forfeit the game? Or fight and just avoid me entirely?"

Warren was surprised to notice that Layla sounded disappointed at the idea of not fighting him. "You  _want_  me to hit you?" he asked in disbelief.

"No. I want you to  _fight_  me. What's the point of learning how to fight if you refuse to hit someone because of their gender? That'd be like me learning martial arts and then not fighting a guy simply because I might kick him in the manhood."

"We have really weird conversations," Warren muttered briefly. "Fine, if you're in Save the Citizen against me, I'll fight you. Happy?"

Layla seemed to consider his question seriously, and a moment later, she nodded. "Fairly. You could sound a bit more enthusiastic about it; we've got Save the Citizen next," she said, standing as the bell rang a moment later.

"We've got Save the Citizen on Wednesday's. Today's Tuesday," he said, frowning.

"It's Wednesday today," she replied, shaking her head at him. "I'm going to buy you coffee and a calendar one day... Come on, let's see you try and fight me."

Warren shouldered his bag and followed after her, somewhat glad he had the same morning classes two days in a row.

...

As Warren had predicted, Boomer was still upset over Layla's display of power. The moment everyone was seated, he shouted for Williams to pair up with Larry and go against Will and Warren in the arena.

Layla usually believed in only using her powers when the situation demanded it (except when she couldn't control her emotions long enough to stop wilting a plant or two). Despite this being one of the times that Save the Citizen was the 'situation' and Boomer was 'demanding' it, Layla decided to bend her rule in order to  _really_  fight Warren. After Will's betrayal the day before, she had no qualms about using her power against _him_ either.

In the stands, there were quiet murmurs, bets being exchanged by the students before the teachers could notice. Mr. Boy was chatting amiably with Mr. Medulla; everyone had heard what Will had done to Layla, even the teachers, and they were looking for a spectacular display of revenge. Since only Will had been transferred to the Hero track, most people believed that Layla's power was only worthy of it's sidekick status or, as Penny had thought the year before, that she didn't have a power at all.

On his seat, Ethan readied his phone to take a video of the fight to show to Zach. He'd probably enjoy watching Will getting beaten by Layla.

Boomer called for quiet, and by the time he pressed the buzzer for the game to start, a pin could have dropped in the gym and echoed in the silence.

The citizen started calling out to be saved, which was Will and Warren's job, as per usual. Before either one could move, Larry powered up into his large rock formation, stomping over loudly to stand in front of the citizen and block their attempts at saving the mannequin.

"I'll deal with him, you keep Layla busy," Will called. He wouldn't admit that he was terrified that Layla would simply pick him up with her vines and feed him into the metal monster along with the citizen.

Warren threw a few fireballs at Larry to keep him preoccupied as Will flew over to him. It didn't work well, only serving to irritate Larry and making him swing his arms around to stop the fireballs. He noticed Will flying around, plucking him out of the air and throwing him across the arena. Will braced himself for the impact but he still crashed into the large blocks, knocking him out for a moment. Larry returned to his post as guard of the citizen's demise, satisfied with his job.

"You sure you want to do this, Layla?" Warren asked as he came closer to her.

"You're not chickening out, are you?" she taunted, a vine wrapping around her wrist.

He threw a punch at her, a few gasps from the crowd as she dodged it quickly and made it look easy.

"Jetstream may have taught me a few things about unarmed combat," Layla admitted at his surprised look. "Now, hurry up and keep trying to defeat me so you can save the stupid citizen," she added, striking out at him.

Warren dodged her fist, but the vine shot out and clipped him on the chin. "Playing dirty there, hippie."

She just grinned at him, and Warren put his fists up once more, flames burning brightly. They began to fight in earnest, balls of fire flying out, large flowers forming to shield Layla, a large tree growing out of the floorboards to throw Warren high into the air. He came down in a blaze of flames, the tree burning to dust in a moment.

Layla glanced over to the citizen and the time. Only fifteen seconds remained before the citizen would be destroyed, and Warren hadn't landed one punch to knock her back or unconscious in order to save it from it's untimely demise. She returned to distracting him with her punches, a kick knocking Warren back to the ground. He was up in a second, his arms alight now, and a growl on his lips. He attacked her again, trying to throw ball after ball of fire at every plant she grew to shield herself, just waiting for one to weaken her enough and get through.

With everyone's attention on Warren and Layla's dance around the arena, no one noticed as Will stirred and stood up from the destroyed blocks. He flew straight at Larry, pushing him back so that he flew straight over the metal teeth, knocking into the citizen, and landing on the other side with a thud. Before he could regain his footing, Will punched Larry so hard that he became nothing more than a pile of rocks for a long moment before turning back into his normal frail self.

At the crash Larry made, both Warren and Layla turned to where Will was hovering above the teeth, trying to rip the rope apart to save the citizen. Layla's eyes flashed with anger and she threw a vine at him, the longest one she'd made yet. Will was too distracted with the rope and irritating citizen to notice her attack, and soon found himself tied up, five metres above the ground and directly above the metal teeth.

Layla watched as he started to drop, and she contemplated letting him continue to fall. A second later, she pulled the vine back sharply, pulling Will out of harm's way while the citizen was ripped to shreds.

The students all erupted with applause when Layla and Larry were declared the winners.

"You could have let him get torn up a bit," Warren muttered softly, grinning ever so slightly.

"What do you think my vine's made out of, feathers?" she replied, grinning back and ignoring the applause around them.

" _Nurse Spex_!"

Mr. Boy's shout was shrill and urgent enough for the applause to die down almost immediately. Larry was still lying on the ground motionless. Beside him, Will was sitting up and trying to pull out the thorns that were embedded in his arms and legs. He looked horrified at what he might have done to Larry.

_He hadn't hit him_ _**that** _ _hard, had he? Larry had been in his rock form, a punch couldn't have killed him! Could it?_

Nurse Spex was ushered into the arena quickly. She scanned Larry's body for damage, and knelt beside him to check his pulse.

"He was just knocked unconscious. Where's that young Stronghold then? Oh, there you are!" she said, blinking at him behind her thick glasses. "You look like you need some medical attention too. Come on, you can carry him to the medical station. Be careful with him, or you won't get a lollipop," Nurse Spex added sternly.

The silence only lasted until Will, Larry and Nurse Spex had left the room, with everyone immediately talking about what would happen now that one of the winners had been knocked out. Looking relieved, Mr. Boy started bouncing on the balls of his feet gently. In a few moments, he had enough spring in his step to jump up to the teacher's gallery, where he took his usual place beside Mr. Medulla. Boomer pressed a button on the remote beside him, the destroyed citizen slowly being pulled over to where he was sitting. He sonicked it into a mess of limbs and shredded clothes, then replaced the citizen and looked down at Layla and Warren in the arena.

"You two will fight together for now. Choose your opponents and which side you'll fight," he said, changing the scoreboard.

"Heroes," Layla said before Warren could say anything. "I choose Freeze Girl," she added.

"Are you insane? She'll cancel me out and freeze any plants you can make," he hissed at her.

Layla just grinned, as if challenging him.

"Fine, I choose Magenta," Warren called.

"What?" Magenta asked with wide eyes, surprised that she'd been chosen.

"No arguing, purple kid. Get your protection on and get in the arena! You too, Freeze Girl!" Coach Boomer called. "You've got a minute to discuss your strategies," he said when they were finally ready and waiting.

"Talk, hippie," Warren hissed.

"It's easier to get warm in winter than it is to get cool in summer. Fire against ice, fire  _always_  wins. You've never seen a frozen fireball, have you?" she added, grinning. "You just need to use more energy than her. It's only for five minutes until I can save the citizen. Do you think you can do it?"

Warren looked dubious but gave a brief nod. "I'll try. And Magenta?"

"I know how to deal with her," Layla muttered.

"Hey, why'd you choose hero?" he added when they realised there were still thirty seconds left before the game began.

"To meet everyone's expectations. We can be bad later," she replied, grinning at him.

Warren's hands almost started flaming at her words. ' _We can be bad later.' For fuck's sakes, did she have a list of things to say that were designed to drive him insane from horniness? He'd probably spontaneously combust soon_!

"You okay?" Layla whispered when she saw him starting to grin.

"I know how to defeat Freeze Girl. You just concentrate on saving the citizen."

She nodded, choosing not to point out that had been her plan from the beginning.

The buzzer went off loudly, people in the stands shouting a mix of ideas and insults across the arena.

Warren started forward, sliding briefly on the sheet of ice that Freeze Girl was creating on the floor. His feet burst into flame, melting large puddles where he walked. Freeze Girl paled slightly, looking worried all of a sudden.

Layla made her way to the citizen, trying not to slip over on the ice. A brief burst of power had thorns growing out of her shoes, crunching holes into the ice so she could walk without falling.

Magenta had changed into a guinea pig the moment the buzzer went off. Freeze Girl had created a block of ice for her to stand on, and it was raised above the metal teeth precariously so that Magenta could chew through the rope that held the citizen up. It was a smart move, and the moment the citizen dropped and was shredded up, Warren and Layla would lose.

A vine slid down Layla's right arm, slithering it's way along the ice and up the tower of ice that was holding Magenta up. Magenta screamed as the vine came towards her, trying to gnaw on the rope faster. She was caught moments later, and started to chew on the vine to get out of her temporary prison.

While Magenta was preoccupied with the first vine, a second one slid out, this one from Layla's left arm. She shot it out like Spiderman's web to wrap around the citizen to save it from it's impending doom. A small branch of the vine wrapped around the citizen's mouth to keep it quiet. Despite being a guinea pig, even Magenta looked relieved.

Tugging on the vine, Layla began to carefully pull the citizen away. Magenta was still gnawing on the other vine, but Layla began to pull on it as well, pulling her even further away from the citizen's rope.

Across the arena, Warren was still battling Freeze Girl. She was starting to get extremely warm, making it difficult to create ice or even keep up the now-melting floor she'd started with. Warren was beginning to get exhausted. His initial fireballs had been large and hotter than normal due to his Layla-inspired thoughts, but these ones were much smaller and not as intense. By the time this was over, he doubted he'd be able to light a candle. He glanced up at the clock, thankful that there were only three seconds left.

Layla finally pulled the citizen to safety, but didn't remove the vine yet. After being pulled off the block of ice, Magenta had shed her guinea pig form, but she was still struggling to get away from the vine around her.

The buzzer went off and cheers erupted from around the gym. Layla smiled over at Warren, and he grinned back, his last fireball fizzling out. What was left of Freeze Girl's icy floor disappeared and a moment later, Layla's vines disappeared as well.

"Good game, Peace," Freeze Girl said, smiling at him.

He nodded at her, but didn't reply verbally, and left to where Layla was waiting.

...

When Layla arrived at her Great Aunt's house that afternoon (she still couldn't call it home, couldn't bring herself to unpack, couldn't feel like anything other than a guest in her relative's house), she called Ms. Peace to let her know that she was now a Hero rather than Hero Support.

Warren's mother sounded pleased that she'd decided to accept that particular provision of the job, and within the hour, she had sent her information regarding an interview with the Mayor on Friday afternoon.

Pleased with the outcome, Layla remembered her earlier idea and called Zach to see how he was doing. He sounded much quieter on the phone, but thanked her for calling. He congratulated Layla on winning the Save the Citizen games, telling her how Ethan had called and sent the video. They talked for a while, Layla explaining about changing to the Hero track, and why. Zach had sounded much happier about the job and her decision than she'd expected him to be. Their conversation ended with Zach inviting her over for study group the next night. She was a Hero now, but that didn't mean they couldn't still study together. Ethan had already agreed earlier in the afternoon, planning on taking Zach his homework since he would be absent from school tomorrow as well. Layla agreed to study with them, asking if she could invite Warren. Zach had sounded happy again, mentioning something about badasses and bro's that Layla hadn't really understood, but he had said he'd see them both tomorrow afternoon and they'd hung up from the call.

Her Great Aunt had been surprised at Layla's mentioning of a job interview. She wasn't a super herself, but she'd had a job at a supermarket when she was Layla's age, and understood how important the independence was to young people. While Layla wasn't entirely sure how a supermarket job compared to being a super-powered teen, she still smiled and nodded in all the right places, reassuring her Great Aunt that she would keep up with her studies. She informed her that she would be attending a study group the next day, which seemed to appease her, although her expression darkened on hearing that Warren would be there as well.

That night, Layla went to sleep with a smile, looking forward to what the next day could bring for the first time in a very long time.

...

End of the sixth chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

"Layla? What are you doing here?" Will asked, his eyes wide and his expression confused when he saw her sitting in the Hero's class the next morning.

As he'd been stuck in Nurse Spex's office all afternoon as she pulled the individual thorns from his arms, legs, and shoulders, Will had missed out on seeing Layla changing to the Hero track. Although, he was sure that he would have rather experienced that uncomfortableness as opposed to what had awaited him at home.

After being called by Principal Powers to come pick Will up, Josie had been beside herself with worry as she'd flown up to the school. On seeing the few holes in her son's body, she was immediately reassured, but promised Nurse Spex that she'd look after Will so he wouldn't be in pain. Josie had participated in Save the Citizen herself and had experienced worse since then, and doubted that the tiny holes were much to worry over. Steve had been more disappointed about Will losing the champion's title for the game, and had talked about strategies over dinner until Will had offered to do the dishes just to escape his father's monologuing.

"I changed over to the Hero track yesterday," Layla replied, wondering why he was asking such an obvious question.

 _Why else would she be in the same class as him and sitting down? She'd had the same timetable for the past two years, it was highly unlikely for her to make a mistake_ _ **now**_.

There was a moment of awkward silence, but Layla would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy watching Will squirm.

"Mr. Stronghold, while you may be disillusioned about this fact, it is in fact  _true_  that the world does  **not**  revolve around you. Class has already started, now  _sit down_ ," Mr. Medulla said, glaring at him.

Will hurried to sit on his usual seat by the window, careful not to step on Mr. Medulla's foot this time. Layla was sitting near the front door next to Larry, who looked extremely pleased about being beside her.

For most of the lesson, Layla could feel Will's gaze boring into her, but she ignored him and concentrated on what Mr. Medulla was teaching. They were learning about different corrosive acids. Apparently they would be tested about them next week, and Layla had no desire to fail her very first Hero test.

Mr. Medulla chastised Will another two times before he finally looked away from Layla and concentrated on the class.

"So, Layla," Larry said as they walked to the next class. "A bunch of us are doing a study group at my house tonight. Did you want to join us?"

She smiled briefly, surprised that she'd been asked. "Sorry, Larry, but I've already got a study group with Zach, Ethan, and Warren."

"Two sidekicks? Will they really understand all the Hero work we have to learn?"

Her smile slipped, and Layla frowned at him. "I'm sure they will. Just because they're sidekicks it doesn't mean that they're stupid."

Larry seemed to realise that up until yesterday, Layla had been classed as a sidekick as well, and with that realisation came the thought that he'd not only insulted her, but also blown any chance he had of ever getting a date with her. "Sorry, Layla."

She nodded briefly, and they walked in silence to the next classroom. Larry still felt ashamed by the time they reached English for Heroes, but was pleasantly surprised when Layla still sat next to him.

 _Well, at least he hadn't ruined their friendship_ , Larry thought to himself.  _Besides, he preferred blondes, and Freeze Girl was single again_.

...

"Hey, hippie. Not braving the cafeteria today?" Warren asked as he sat beside her.

"Not up to it," she said, shaking her head.

"Heard you got an interview with the Mayor, congratulations," he said with a grin.

"Thanks. I was going to ring you to say thank you, but I got caught up talking to Zach and I forgot. So, thank you," Layla said, smiling at him.

Warren's heart did  **not**  just skip a beat.  _Not at all. His heart didn't do stupid things like that_.

"You're welcome. How is the glow stick?"

"He doesn't sound the best. He invited me over for a study group with him and Ethan tonight. Do you want to come?"

Warren was silent for a moment, thinking over his work schedule, and the distance from Zach's house to the  _Paper Lantern_. "Sure, I can only stay for two hours at the most though. I'm working tonight."

Layla nodded in understanding. "I don't think they'll mind. Zach said something about you being his bro and his house was badass. I got confused with all of the abbreviations and words ending with  _izzle_ ," she admitted, frowning.

"Great, can't wait," he muttered sarcastically.

They were silent as they ate their food, and Warren read his book as Layla played with the grass behind them.

"I haven't been to the  _Paper Lantern_  since my mother died," Layla realised with a slight frown.

Looking up from his book, Warren saw the tears in her eyes. She gave him a watery smile, turning back to the blades of grass and killing them until there were big circles of brown grass scattered among the green. He frowned, not liking to see her so sad and lost.

"Why don't you come tonight? I'll cook vegetables and rice for you," he said, grinning slightly.

"With black bean sauce?"

"With black bean sauce," he agreed. "If you're lucky, I might even throw in a fortune cookie for dessert."

"Okay, but only if you read the fortune to me," Layla replied, smiling briefly.

"You read mine and we've got a deal, hippie."

She nodded quickly, holding out her hand for him to shake. Warren hesitated for a brief moment; he hadn't actually touched her since their accidental kiss the day before (which they still hadn't discussed, acting as if it hadn't even happened). He shook to seal their deal, enjoying the warmth of her hand in his. Warren let his fingers linger as he pulled away, but Layla squeezed his hand gently, threading their fingers together. His hand fired up, a gentle flame that he didn't let burn her. She smiled, a vine wrapping around their joined hands and bursting into bloom.

...

"Hey, Zach. How are you?" Layla asked when he opened the door.

"Been better," he replied with a shrug. "Hey, Warren. Glad you could make it," he said, smiling for a brief moment.

Warren just nodded, following Layla inside. He told himself that he wouldn't stare at Zach, who was dressed in a grey shirt and track pants rather his normal neon coloured clothes. As with Layla's deviation from green, it was a shock to see him in anything that wasn't white, yellow or bright green.

"Oh, hey Layla. Hi Warren," Ethan said with a smile as they came inside. "Zach and I were just watching your fight in Save the Citizen yesterday. It was really well played, even if you did leave some crucial openings."

"What openings?" Warren asked, frowning as he sat beside Ethan.

Ethan seemed both startled and pleased that Warren had given him the time of day, and hurried to rewind the video on the screen. He'd already transferred the video from his phone to his laptop and had hooked the laptop up to Zach's TV so they could see it without straining their eyes.

"Just start it from the beginning, and we'll watch the whole thing," Layla said, sitting on the lounge opposite them.

Zach offered everyone a drink, but when they declined, he sat beside Layla, keeping the bowl of popcorn in his lap. He hadn't watched both fights yet, and was looking forward to seeing the floor being wiped with his former friends.

The games were watched three times, one for fun (Zach had actually lit up when Will had been pierced by the vines, but blamed the lighting), once to study the openings they'd made ("see, Warren? Freeze Girl had a clear path right to Layla then, and she could have frozen her before you had time to stop it," Ethan said, grinning when Warren looked as if he was seriously contemplating what he'd said), and the final time to take notes on what they could have done differently. The latter took the most time, as they argued over the merits of having an entire plant-based shield as opposed to a fiery one, with Ethan and Zach putting in their own ways of how they could  _destroy_  them had they fought together. Warren grinned, accepting their challenge to fight in Save the Citizen once Zach was better and back at Sky High.

Zach's mother came in before they could continue talking, offering to bring them more snacks or drinks. Her offer was declined, and they hurried to actually do homework instead of watching the videos for a fourth time. Ethan sent the videos to Layla and Warren at their request, and then returned to his homework for English for Hero Support.

Layla was in the middle of discussing corrosive acids when Warren's alarm went off, reminding him that he had to go to work. In a matter of minutes, both Warren and Layla were ready to leave, planning to have another study group at Ethan's house on the weekend since Layla had her interview with the Mayor the next day.

Zach had hugged her, congratulating her, both of them ignoring Ethan's comment about it being a government job when she'd already expressed the desire to work outside, with animals, or plants. Layla said they'd discuss it more on the weekend, if she actually did get the job.

Jokingly, Zach had said that they'd egg the Mayor's car if he didn't give her the job, which Layla found worryingly endearing.

...

Warren arrived at the  _Paper Lantern_  with five minutes to spare before his shift started. Mrs. Woo recognised Layla and slyly told Warren that he should have brought her sooner, rather than the cold blonde girl he'd been with last year. He was glad she'd said it in Cantonese rather than English, and simply told her not to hassle Layla. Warren grabbed Layla's hand, quickly dragging her into the kitchen before Mrs. Woo could say anything else.

"That mean old woman is Mrs. Woo. Don't listen to anything she says, no matter what language it's in," he added with a brief glare over his shoulder.

"Okay," she said, wondering what the kind-looking lady had said to Warren to make his hands burn the way they were.

Warren realised that he'd burned her, and swore softly, turning on the nearby cold tap and putting her wrists beneath the cold water.

"I've just got to get my apron. Don't move from here, all right?"

In record time, Warren shrugged off his jacket, putting it in the staff area with his bag, tying the apron on and his hair up before returning to where Layla was waiting. She was drying her wrists tenderly, and started to apply a burn salve that she'd seen through the first aid box's clear lid.

"I'm fine, Warren. Don't look so worried; I've done worse to myself with poisonous plants," she reassured him with a slight grin. "Get to work; we'll talk later," Layla added, picking up her bag and heading to the far corner of the kitchen that looked unoccupied.

Warren sighed slightly, but Mrs. Woo called him, and he hurried to do his job before she decided to fire him.

Layla watched everything that happened in the kitchen that night instead of focusing on her homework. She was fascinated by the order that was maintained by different chefs, the words and friendly insults they traded with each other. Everyone looked so tense and worried, their results always being judged by the people eating them. Warren was in and out of the kitchen a lot, collecting empty plates and glasses from the diners, filling up water jugs, washing dirty dishes, and continuing the cycle all over again. Layla itched to do something to help, but doubted that her intrusion would be appreciated by anyone in the kitchen; they all had their own specific jobs to do and she would only get in the way. She did make the daisies on the tables stand up a little straighter though, just to make herself feel useful.

When the restaurant became quieter, Warren finally returned to the kitchen to cook dinner for himself and Layla. Mrs. Woo had gone home an hour ago, leaving the rest of the duties to those who were rostered on. Warren talked with Layla as he cooked, explaining corrosive acids and what he remembered about their properties. She took notes quickly, not allowing herself to be distracted by his arms any more than she already was.

By the time he finished cooking, the restaurant was completely empty, and most of the staff were folding napkins for the next night. Warren took Layla out to the seated section, sitting across from her and eating dinner together as if they'd actually come in to do only that. Layla wasn't entirely sure how, but she found that their conversation had turned to her mother.

"So there my mother was, trying to explain to Bruce the pig that the saying ' _when pigs fly_ ' didn't actually mean that he would be able to fly one day! He was very disappointed, but it was even worse when he asked what bacon was."

"How on earth did your mother explain that?" he asked with a slight frown, trying to imagine the conversation that would have led Bruce to understand that people eat his kind.

"She never did tell me what she said, but apparently Bruce was very offended that humans would eat pigs, who were the noblest of creatures."

"Of course..."

Layla laughed at his expression, reaching across the table to swipe his fortune cookie off the plate. He shook his head briefly, taking hers as well.

"You first, hippie," Warren said with a nod.

" _I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the centre of your being_ ," she read, frowning slightly. She turned the small piece of paper over. "Your lucky numbers are 18, 32, 5, 29, and 7," she said with a grin this time. "Your turn."

Warren took a small breath, reading the tiny words aloud. " _Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life_... Your lucky numbers are 7, 29, 5, 32, and 18."

"Is it normal for the numbers to be the same?"

"Not usually," he replied with a frown.

"Maybe they really are lucky," she said, grinning.

"Yeah, right. I'll play them in the lotto and be a millionaire," Warren said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, hippie, let's get going. Did you tell your Great Aunt that you'd be out all night?"

Layla paled slightly, shaking her head.

"Why don't you go call her now, and let her know that you're only just leaving? I'll make sure you get to her house all right," he added.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I can catch the bus on my own."

"My mother would probably kill me if she finds out that I let you go home alone. Don't argue, hippie. Just go call your Great Aunt, and when you're there, you can thank me, all right?"

Layla still didn't look too happy about it, but headed outside to do as he said. Her Great Aunt sounded appropriately relieved that she was okay, and it took Layla a few minutes to convince her not to drive down into town to pick her up, since Warren would be with her, and she'd be safe. Warren washed their dishes, grabbed his jacket and bag, leaving after hanging up his apron. Layla had only just hung up from her phone call when he stepped outside, zipping up his jacket.

"Everything all right?"

She nodded with a smile. "Perfect. The next bus leaves the depot in about ten minutes, so we've got about five to get to the next stop."

Warren nodded in response, heading down the street with Layla by his side. They were both silent as they walked, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Overhead, the street lamp blinked uncertainly in the dark night. Layla looked around, frowning slightly when she saw a large sign hanging precariously on a fence across the street.

"Where are you going? The bus'll be here in a minute," Warren called when she hurried across the road. Swearing softly, he hurried after her, keeping an eye out for the bus. "What's wrong?"

"It's for sale," Layla said, nodding at the old wooden house on one of the few remaining half acre plots left in Maxville.

"Yeah, it's been for sale for ages. I think it's one of the few houses that the Stronghold's  _can't_  sell."

"Why hasn't anyone bought it?"

"Oh, the whole thing's rotted through, and no one really wants to spend the time fixing up an entire half-acre of land. Most people in Maxville would prefer to be in debt for a much more modern house than that one... Bus is coming. Quick," Warren said, taking her hand and running across the road before the bus could drive past.

The bus pulled over, the driver telling himself that it had been a trick of the light that made him imagine that the young man's hand was on fire.

After paying for their bus tickets and taking their seats on the almost-empty bus, Layla looked out at the ruined house until it was out of sight.

"Why are you so interested in that house?" Warren asked with a slight frown.

"I was thinking that it'd be nice to plant an entire forest in there. There aren't many trees left in Maxville," she replied hesitantly.

Warren put his arm around her waist, pulling Layla closer to his body. He turned his head so that it looked like he was kissing her neck, but he didn't kiss her.

"Liar," he whispered, his lips brushing against her skin lightly.

Her cheeks were flushed, but she returned the favour, her lips barely touching his neck as she whispered her answer. "Secret sanctum."

He raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, and a slow grin began to form on his lips. It would definitely be big enough to have a training area, and if a forest was planted at the front of the lot, then it would hide anything that was built behind the trees.

Searching through her bag, Layla pulled out her notebook, turning to the back empty pages. She drew a rough square, labelling the road at the bottom, and drawing symbols for trees around the edge of the block, leaving an empty square in the middle. Passing the pen and book to Warren, she grinned slightly, as if challenging him to add to it.

He took the offered book and pen, sketching a basic training area (fireproof, of course) towards the back of the available space. A room for the security cameras that they'd have installed on the property, which could also serve as the room to watch their fights and training, so they could work out any openings. Warren handed the book back, raising his eyebrows slightly as a way of asking her opinion.

She grinned and nodded, seeming to like his ideas. Layla looked at the available space, frowning slightly before another grin formed and she added to more of this imaginary sanctum.

"A meditation room, really?" Warren asked quietly in disbelief.

"It's very important to relieve stress," Layla replied, sounding more serious than he'd expected her to. "What are your thoughts on a trophy room?" she asked, tapping the pen against her chin.

"Too narcissistic. And leads to things like Homecoming last year," he pointed out, his eyes flicking to the other few people on the bus. "We should have an incinerator instead."

"And a library. But not next to the incinerator," Layla muttered.

"Why would we need a library? The tech room's already there."

"Sophistication. And by having a large library, we can shelve books that we don't want to be noticed; you know, the hiding things in plain sight thing."

"Okay. But only if the library has a fireplace."

"It can have a fireplace if the meditation room can have a waterfall. Or a fish tank," Layla said, undecided as to which would be best.

"If you can choose only one of those, then we've got a deal, hippie."

"Waterfall. Don't want the fish to be accidentally boiled," she said with a slight grin, glancing at his hands.

The bus stopped, and Layla hurried to shove her notebook in her bag, getting out with Warren behind her.

"You really think I'd boil the fish?" Warren asked as they walked up the road.

"Maybe. You want to have an incinerator in a place that's surrounded by  _trees_."

"I could control the incinerator if it came down to that."

"Oh, please, you couldn't even light a match after playing two Save the Citizen games yesterday! What if you get back after using your power for most of the day to find that the incinerator's started a fire? You wouldn't be able to control it at all!"

Warren was silent for a moment, frowning. "Well, you couldn't even make a seed open yesterday either."

"That's why I want a place to practice. Really need to get better stamina... The longest fight was between the Commander and the Incredible Genius. It lasted six hours, and it was the last fight that the Commander had with All American Boy as his sidekick. Kind of rude, really. The guy had just saved the Commander's life, and then he just kicked him to the kerb without so much as a thank you bonus."

Warren shook his head briefly. "The bad guys always have the worst names. You think for people who pride themselves on being smarter than heroes, they'd at least have names that wouldn't make them sound like they were still in primary school."

Layla nodded in agreement, staying silent as they walked up the driveway to her Great Aunt's house.

"Thanks for seeing me back, Warren, I appreciate it. And thank you for dinner as well. I'll let your mother know that you were a perfect gentleman," she added with a grin.

"You might want to wait until after I've left before you tell her, or she'll think I'm forcing you to say that," Warren replied, grinning back at her.

"Deal," she said.

There was movement behind Layla, and she frowned slightly as Warren's grin faded.

"I'd better go. Doesn't feel overly welcoming at the moment," he muttered. "See you tomorrow, hippie."

"See you tomorrow. Text me when you get home, okay? I'll worry otherwise... Plus, I can let your mum know how well behaved you were then," Layla said, attempting a grin even as he started walking down the driveway.

"Sure thing. I think I can get home safely," Warren added, clicking his fingers so small flames appeared. He clenched his hands, the two flames disappearing instantly. "Take care of yourself," he called quietly, heading down the road and back to the bus stop.

Layla turned to face the front door, her eyes narrowing when she heard her Great Aunt moving around. She opened the door, stepping inside and closing it behind her. Stepping into the lounge room, the room closest to the entrance, Layla was not at all surprised to see her Great Aunt sitting on an armchair, attempting to read a book that was upside down.

"Hello Layla, how was your day?" her Great Aunt asked, her smile forced and her tone excessively polite.

"Fine. Yours?"

There was a moment of hesitation before she answered. "I was worried about you this afternoon when you didn't come home and I didn't hear from you."

Layla tried not to scoff in disbelief. The first text she'd had from her Great Aunt was at 6.30pm,  _three hours_  after school had finished and almost two and a half hours after she was supposed to have been inside the house.

"I don't like you hanging around with that boy either. He doesn't seem good for you."

Now all Layla could do was stare.  _Warren was her friend - one of the very few left, and probably her best friend by all counts - and her Great Aunt, who had met Warren_ _ **once**_ _at her mother's funeral, had the gall to say that about him_?

"What about that nice boy, Will, who came over a few days ago, looking for you?" she asked, placing her book down and looking at Layla over the top of her glasses. "I thought you were dating him? Will seemed much nicer than the boy out there... Why are you leaving him to be with the likes of that boy?"

"That  **nice**  boy cheated on me with my best friend, so he's sure as hell not winning Boyfriend of the Year! And as for Warren, he is the  _only one_  who isn't treating me like I'm made of glass! He's treating me like  _an actual_ _ **person**_ , which is more than you can say!" Layla said, her voice raising to a shout. "You never even talked to Mum and I before her death, and now you're trying to make up for it because  _you_  feel guilty. Admit it, all you want to do is make yourself feel better! You're just _acting_  like you've got my best interests at heart!"

**SLAP.**

Layla held her hand to her burning cheek, and simply stared at her Great Aunt. The silence was deafening, and for a long moment, all she could do was continue to stare at the woman standing across from her.

"I'm sor..."

Not allowing her to finish her insincere apology, one that would only serve to make her Great Aunt feel better, Layla turned around and went down to the room she slept in.

As the door closed behind her, a tree immediately started to grow. It uprooted itself from the floorboards, growing up to the ceiling and branching out across the room, a few of the thicker branches knocking her boxes over.

The tape had become useless over the past few weeks, and Layla's belongings fell out onto the floor. A blanket, her mother's favourite jumper, photographs, books, pieces of jewellery all scattered around, priceless items encased in painful memories.

Sitting against the tree, Layla brought her knees to her chest and began to sort through the items with tears in her eyes.

What felt like hours later, Layla's phone began to vibrate in her pocket, startling her out of her half-awake, half-asleep state. She replied to the text message from Warren, not telling him what had happened yet. She'd do it in the morning, face to face. Keeping her promise, she quickly text Ms. Peace letting her know that Warren had been very gentlemanly all night and had even escorted her home, which was the reason he was late home himself. There was a reply of surprise from Ms. Peace, along with a message to go to sleep to be refreshed for school the next day.

Smiling to herself briefly, Layla pulled on her mother's jumper, wrapped the blanket around her body and fell asleep against the tree she'd created.

...

End of the seventh chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

Not wanting to face her Great Aunt in the morning, Layla climbed out of the window instead. Creating another tree to get out of the bedroom didn't take as much effort as Layla expected. Although she was surprised to see lemons hanging from the branches, she was far from proud or pleased at their presence. Before leaving, Layla made a web of vines to cover the glass, ensuring that her Great Aunt couldn't get inside from either entry.

On her way to the bus, Layla realised that by going out through the window, she hadn't eaten breakfast and had nothing for lunch that afternoon either. Digging into her pockets, she found a few dollars that she hoped would cover a vegetarian roll at the cafeteria.

Once seated on the bus, Layla took out her notebook to look at the drawing she and Warren had worked on the night before. By sitting on the correct side of the bus, she hoped that she would be able to see the house again. Warren would be on the bus before they passed the house, and she waited impatiently for the driver to drive faster, sketching more rooms for the sanctum.

"Hey hippie," Warren muttered, sliding into the seat beside her.

"Hey," Layla replied, absent-mindedly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, seeing the book in her lap.

"Drawing," she answered, handing him the notebook before glancing out the window to see where they were.

"How'd it go last night with your Great Aunt?"

Layla scowled briefly. "I'll tell you when we're up in the air," she muttered.

With all of the screaming that the other students did, as well as the noise from the jet engine's exhausts on the back of the bus, Layla and Warren had found that their seat provided the perfect cover to talk about anything they didn't want others overhearing. Of course, with all of that noise, it was difficult to hear much without shouting, which raised the issue of being heard all over again. Sitting side by side, with their mouth to the other's ear as they'd done the night before, had worked so far, and if anyone had seen them, they would have mistakenly thought that Warren and Layla were making out.

Warren didn't seem offended by her response, and turned her notebook around with a slight frown. "I really don't think that's possible. You think that can go there without resulting in some serious damage?"

As Layla turned to look at what he was referring to, she noticed the house coming up, and kept her attention glued to the street instead.

"You really want to do this, don't you?" Warren asked quietly.

She almost jumped when she heard his voice in her ear. Nodding briefly, Layla kept her eyes on the house until it was out of sight. Warren was silent beside her, sketching something on the notebook.

Ten minutes later, when the bus was in the air, Layla turned to Warren, her lips close to his ear. He returned the motion, and she repressed a shiver at the feel of his breath against her skin.

"My Great Aunt doesn't like the fact I hang around you," she admitted.

"Didn't think she did. What happened?"

"We had a huge fight. She slapped me..."

"Did you retaliate?" he asked, moving to look at her cheek. She didn't seem to have a bruise, but Warren believed her nonetheless.

"I grew a tree in the room I sleep in so she can't get inside, and I blocked the window with vines this morning."

"Why doesn't she like me?"

"No actual reason. She just thinks I should be with Will because he's  _nice_."

Warren scoffed in disbelief. "Yeah, right. What are you going to do?"

"Get out of her house as soon as possible."

"How?" he replied, frowning slightly.

As much as he was sure that Layla didn't like her Great Aunt, Warren loathed the idea of her running away and living on the streets.  _He wondered if his mum would mind if Layla moved in with them_...

"Save up as much money as I can with my job, and then move out after my senior year with my inheritance. It's not a lot, but it's enough to get me started. I hope," she added.

Relieved that she wouldn't be homeless at sixteen, Warren quickly agreed to her idea. "You've just got to figure out how to live with your Great Aunt for the next two years, and you'll be set."

"Easier said than done. She doesn't really care about me, I don't like her, and we still have to live in the same house. Not exactly a recipe for a happy family," Layla said, rolling her eyes.

"Then stop trying to be something that you're obviously not going to be. Stay out of each other's way, make set days for dishes or cooking, and just survive for 24 months... Doesn't seem as long that way, does it?" Warren added, grinning.

She conceded with a brief nod, but doubted that it would work. Her Great Aunt probably hated her now, and Layla wasn't overly fond of the pretentious woman anyway.

The bus began to slow down as Sky High came into view, and they moved so they were facing the front again. Layla put her notebook away quickly, and they held on tightly as the bus landed on the tarmac.

Warren let Layla get out first, as he always did, nodding to the driver as he stepped off the bus behind her. They parted ways, planning to meet in the cafeteria for lunch.

...

"So, why do you think you'd be good at this job?" Warren asked, looking at her seriously.

Layla smiled in return. "I think it would be the perfect opportunity for me to see how I'm able to handle a work environment, and I'm extremely organised, so I am confident that I would be good at the job."

Warren nodded at her answer. "Not bad. Want another question, or are you actually going to eat something now?" he asked, glancing to her tray.

They'd been doing mock interview questions for the whole of lunch, and Layla insisted that she was too nervous to eat. She'd found a few notes hidden at the bottom of her bag, making up more than enough for a salad, and she had filled her water bottle from the school coolers.

"I'll eat in a minute. Ethan, do you want to ask a question?" Layla asked, turning to him.

He grinned and nodded, swallowing the last of his sandwich ( _a Hero sandwich, thank you very much_!).

"Um... How about... If the Mayor's opposition offered you a job for more money, would you accept it, and why?"

"Good question," Layla said with a slight grin, before making her expression more neutral and answering. "It would depend on my own circumstances, but I would probably say no, as I am a very loyal person. However, if the Mayor's campaign promises and electoral term differed so drastically that I couldn't bring myself to work for him any longer, it's likely that I would look at the opposition's promises and see if they were similar to my own ideals."

"Okay... Good answer, but if you say anything about hypocrisy, then you probably won't get the job. The Mayor's been accused of being a hypocrite by the media, and I doubt he'd be happy about one of his potential staff turning tail over it," Warren said.

"Yeah, you should have stopped at the loyalty part. That would have been better," Ethan agreed.

"When was he accused of being a hypocrite?" Layla asked, frowning.

"A few months ago. It was over the plans for the goods and services tax increase, which he promised wouldn't happen during his electoral campaign," Warren replied.

"He's put it aside for now, but everyone knows he'll still do it eventually," Ethan added, shrugging.

She didn't look reassured or comfortable at the idea of working for a hypocrite.

"Eat your lunch, hippie," Warren said, nudging her salad towards her. "If you don't eat now, you'll be sick later, and I seriously doubt the Mayor would appreciate you ruining his three-piece."

She wrinkled her nose at his comment, but picked up her fork and began to eat nonetheless. It still tasted awful to her, and Layla drank half of her water before she was even a quarter of the way through her lunch.

Across from her, Ethan started talking to Warren about the study group on the weekend, and the Save the Citizen game to be held that afternoon.

...

"I'm really sorry, Layla, but Nurse Spex says I can't participate in Save the Citizen for a few more weeks. That hit from Will bruised my ribs, and if I get hit again, they could fracture," Larry said.

"Oh, that's all right, Larry. You just concentrate on getting better," she said, patting his hand sympathetically.

Layla went over to Coach Boomer, telling him Larry's reason for not playing. Boomer didn't look convinced, but agreed to her request to partner with Warren again. He called for Peace to join Williams on the arena, and set about changing the names on the board. Warren stood up, looking slightly confused, but headed to the change room quickly.

"Heroes or villains?" Boomer asked.

"Heroes," Layla replied.

"We choose Donny," Warren said, pointing at the telepathic boy from the cafeteria, "and Ritchie," he added, indicating a telekinetic boy from his year.

"Okay, you two get ready," Boomer called.

"Who are they? Well, I know that Donny kid is telepathic, but is that all he does?" Layla asked quietly.

"It's all he's done in front of the class, well, besides be an asshole. He can get overwhelmed by thoughts, and is weak against physical attacks... Ritchie is telekinetic, but he can only lift objects, not elements. I can take him out if you think you can handle Donny?"

"I think I can. Did you ask Ethan to record the fight?"

"Yeah, he said he wanted to keep Zach up to date."

She nodded in reply, glancing to their opponents across the arena. Donny had a look of pure concentration on his face, and Layla glared as she realised he was using his power before the game had even started.

 _He really is an asshole_ , she thought to herself, and Donny feigned offence, grinning at her.

Moments later, the buzzer went off loudly. Ritchie immediately started on pulling the citizen closer to the metal teeth. Warren threw a fireball at him, making him jump out of the way and lose his concentration. Layla and Donny circled each other, the grin on his face grating her nerves.

"So, little Layla, what are your weaknesses?" Donny murmured.

Memories started to flick through her mind, and she tried to build some sort of protection against him, thinking of the scientific names of every plant and flower she knew. It worked for a moment, but then a memory of her mother appeared, her smile as she listened to Layla recite the scientific names of the flowers they were going to plant that day.  _Layla was five years old, dressed in stained overalls, her hair bunched in pigtails, and she was excited to help with the gardening. She'd been looking forward to this all week, her excitement making her lima beans grow even faster at school. Layla's mother smiled at her warmly, the entire room seeming to light up with the motion. Layla's mother holding her arms open for a hug. Layla's mother_...

Layla gritted her teeth, and Donny actually paled slightly as her memory forcefully stopped playing in her mind.

 _Her mother, who had been killed by a bull she'd been trying to save. Her mother, who had showed the world nothing but kindness and had died in return. Her mother, who she could never see again, never make her smile again, never see her light up a room just by being there. Her mother, who was cold and dead, and buried beneath the very earth that Layla could control but was useless to do anything. Her mother, who had been there for every moment of her relationship with Will, except the end. Her mother, who would have known exactly what to say to make it better. Her mother, who was no longer there to hug, or hold, or just talk to. Her mother, whose voice she would never hear again_.  _Her mother, her mother, her mother_...

Donny gasped at the intensity of her memories, of her overflowing emotions accompanied with the images and thoughts, and sank to his knees in pain. Layla walked over to him, a vine picking him up. He was tied to the street lamp moments later, just in case he managed to get past the memories and emotion. She was crying as she turned around, tears falling down her cheeks, but thankfully keeping her vision somewhat clear.

Warren was fighting Ritchie still, attempting to melt down the large boxes that were being thrown at him. It obviously wasn't working as well as he'd hoped, and Ritchie looked all too triumphant for her liking. Wiping her tears away quickly, Layla held her hands out, her power centralising in her palms. Seconds later, the ground beneath Ritchie's feet began to rumble and quake. Distracted, his power lapsed and the boxes fell to the ground, Warren quickly dodging them before they flattened him. A stalk started to grow from the floor, lifting Ritchie up into the air. A large leaf grew from one of the smaller branches, wrapping around Ritchie to face him at the ceiling and keep him firmly where he was. Unable to see anything below him, Ritchie wouldn't be able to use his telekinesis against them. While Layla was finishing off Ritchie, Warren moved to save the citizen, throwing a fireball at the rope and catching the mannequin before the metal teeth claimed it.

Boomer counted down the ten obligatory seconds, and when the villains stayed stuck where they were, unable to escape or move, he claimed Layla and Warren the victors.

Moments later, Donny and Ritchie were back on their feet, untied and relatively unharmed. Layla didn't meet Donny's gaze, her thoughts still focused on her mother. He gave her a brief nod when he passed, but steered clear of her nonetheless.

"Want to tell me what happened there, hippie?" Warren asked quietly as the students cheered and applauded their victory.

"He tried to make me weak by making me think about my mother. It backfired when I became so emotional that he incapacitated himself instead," she replied with a brief shrug. "Want to be villains now?"

"Not today. You really want to have an interview with the Mayor after being a villain?" Warren asked pointedly.

"True... All right, but next time we're going to be villains. That citizen's starting to give me a headache," Layla muttered.

He nodded in understanding, his head not feeling much better.

They fought against another pair, one girl who could bounce fast and high, and a boy who had six arms and equal strength in all of them. The bouncer was almost as irritating as the citizen, dodging every fireball Warren could send at her. Layla was having trouble creating a vine that the boy couldn't get out of, and the citizen continued to drop. With two minutes to spare, they swapped so Warren was against the six-armed boy, and Layla was against the bouncing girl.

From there, it was over in a matter of seconds. The girl was brought down by a long-reaching vine, keeping her tied to the park bench so she couldn't bounce. A fireball destroyed the street lamp the boy had climbed, bringing him down to the ground quickly, where he was tied up by another vine. Warren destroyed the cable holding the citizen and Layla caught the mannequin with a vine. He might have been imagining it, but Warren was almost certain that Layla let the citizen drop towards the metal teeth for a moment longer than necessary.

Applause erupted again, and moments later, the bell rang, signifying the end of the school for the day.

Layla hurried to the change room to get into her interview clothes, silently hoping the shirt and skirt she had chosen looked professional enough. Making her way to the bus, she wasn't surprised to find that she was one of the last ones to get aboard.

As usual, Warren was sitting at the back of the bus. He glanced up briefly when he heard the bus doors close, doing a double take when he saw what Layla was wearing. He hurried to put out the flame that appeared on his clenched fist. Layla was in a black skirt and a simple black buttoned shirt, and Warren knew that he shouldn't have been turned on by the sight of her walking towards him, but he was, and couldn't seem to regret the feeling. It took longer than normal to repress the thoughts he was having about unbuttoning that shirt and screwing her senseless.

"You okay, Warren?" Layla asked with a slight frown, sitting beside him.

He must have managed a fairly convincing nod because she didn't press it like she normally would have.

"Do I look okay? I tried to go for something professional, but I had that laser-beam guy wolf-whistle at me, and now I'm thinking I don't look as professional as I thought," she lamented.

"He whistled at you?" Warren asked, his voice little more than a territorial growl.

He looked at the students on the bus, hoping that the guy was on the same bus as them so he could beat him up. At least he'd be able to relieve some tension  _that_  way.

"Yeah... I grew a bamboo forest around him so he couldn't move or get out," Layla admitted, grinning slightly when Warren chuckled deeply.

"Oh, that's  _fantastic_ , Layla. I hope he's stuck in there for the rest of the year."

She didn't reply, simply staring at him for a moment. It was the first time she could remember Warren calling her by her actual name. Layla smiled to herself.

"You look fine. If the Mayor doesn't hire you, then we'll do worse than egg his car," he added with a smirk.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, a slight smirk on her face too.

"Not telling. You agreed that you shouldn't think those sort of things before meeting with him. So, think about positive things. You know, forests and rainbows, or whatever."

Layla laughed at his words -  _forests and rainbows,_ _ **really**_? - and remembered her morning escapade.

"I can make lemons now," she said, a hint of pride and sadness in her voice.

"Lemons?" Warren echoed, frowning.

"Yeah. I never could make a lemon tree before. I can now... I'll show you," she said, pulling out her notebook.

"No need, hippie, I believe you. I have no desire to have the bus torn apart by tree roots. Stronghold might have to save us then, and that would be too much to handle," he muttered.

"I'm not going rip up the bus. Just watch," she said, placing her palm on an empty page.

Lifting her hand slowly, a miniature tree began to grow up from the blank piece of paper. At first Warren thought she'd been lying, because the tree just had yellow leaves, but then he realised that they were actually lemons. She grinned at his expression, lowering her hand until the tree disappeared and the page was blank once more.

"When did you find out you could do that?" he asked when he overcame his surprise.

"Eighth grade for art class. We had to draw a lifelike object, and I wanted to draw a particular type of tree, but I couldn't remember what type of bark it had. I was just thinking about it and mucking about with my art book, and that sort of happened by accident. Luckily I was alone in the art room," Layla added, grinning briefly. "I tried it again that night when I was home, and it worked... I haven't shown anyone else," she added, feeling as though he should know that.

"Thanks, Layla," he said quietly, smiling.

She smiled back at him. Seat belts flowed out of the seat to secure them down, and they both held on as the driver flew off the edge of the school. Fifteen minutes later, the bus touched down on it's particular freeway ramp, merging onto the road as a normal school bus with a flip of a switch.

The first stop was the closest to the Mayor's office, and Layla got off the bus, Warren wishing her luck.

Walking down to the council building, Layla felt her pocket vibrating and pulled out her phone. She'd received a text, and on reading it, discovered that Ethan and Zach had written to her, wishing her luck with her interview with the Mayor, also informing her that they'd bought four cartons of eggs, just in case. ( _If she did get the job, then Zach promised to make omelettes_.) Layla made a mental note to tell them off if she suddenly started laughing in the middle of her interview because of their message.

Opening the door and stepping into the cool building, Layla hurried to smooth her skirt down, suddenly feeling nervous. She smiled at the receptionist briefly, telling her who she was and that she had an appointment with the Mayor. The woman nodded, stating that she was expected, the Mayor was running late, and could she wait for five minutes?

Fifteen minutes later, the Mayor came out of his office, a broad white-toothed smile on his face, and his arm extended for her to shake his hand. Layla hurried to stand, shaking his hand quickly and smiling in return. He held onto her hand for a moment longer, and she wondered if it was an after effect of the recent electoral campaign, where the Mayor probably shook hands with people for minutes at a time, just to get the perfect camera shot.

When he finally let go, the Mayor led her into the back of the office building, and Layla discreetly wiped her hand on her skirt. The Mayor was talking about all the great and wonderful changes that were going to happen in Maxville with his electoral campaign, and she bit back a comment of how she was too young to vote. Not that she'd vote for the tree-lopping and animal-habitat-harming man anyway. She concentrated on listening to the Mayor carefully when she noticed Ms. Peace across the room. Opening the door and ushering Layla into his office, the Mayor smiled again, that toothy smile that she didn't trust, and moved to sit behind his desk.

"Now, Layla, tell me what you think you can contribute to my team."

With that sentence, her interview began. She'd never been to an interview before, but Layla was positive that they usually had something to do with how well a person could do a job. The Mayor must have missed that memo, as he kept all of his questions purely on what she could do to make him look good to the public, how powerful she was, and if she had any qualms against promoting the Mayor if she saved Maxville from a monster or two. He had more than twenty people in his employment, ten of those supers, and the others the best in their chosen profession. His personal assistant alone was made to sound as if she would have personally steamrolled his pants if they weren't pressed in the morning.

Somehow, Layla managed to answer all of his questions, and with another toothy smile and extended hand, the Mayor offered her the apprenticeship. He joked about her running the office when he retired, but Layla was certain he said the same thing to every other person he hired, and she was right. Still, she thanked him for the opportunity, the job offer, and was ushered out of his office so he could go for dinner with the Strongholds. After seeing his personal assistant, and receiving information about the job, the pay, and the required forms she needed to fill out, Layla thanked Ms. Peace face to face once more before leaving.

...

Waiting until reaching the bus stop to pull out her phone, Layla text Warren, Zach and Ethan to tell them that she'd received the job. Warren text back a very quick congratulatory text since he was already at work, and Zach rang her with Ethan in the background as they sang an awful rendition of ' _for he's a jolly good fellow_ '.

Layla had no desire to return to her Great Aunt's house just yet, and so, she began walking through Maxville. She avoided the street that her old house was on, knowing that if she was so close to the Stronghold's home that she wouldn't be able to resist wrapping a few vines around Will's window, just to freak him out. It wouldn't be a good start to her new job, especially with the Strongholds knowing the Mayor personally.

Continuing through the town, Layla eventually found herself standing in front of the old house that was for sale. She was surprised that no aspiring developers had torn it down yet, but supposed that it was due to the fact that it wasn't as close to the main part of town, and it would be useless to make people drive so far for another shopping centre when one was already conveniently close. The  _Paper Lantern_  only received such good business because it was rumoured that superheroes ate there, and people were eager to see if they could match the nondescript civilians to their superhero image. With the Commander's constant inability to remember to wear his glasses, Layla was surprised that his cover hadn't been blown years ago.

Realising that she'd been standing in the same spot for a long time and probably looked more than suspicious, Layla continued along the sidewalk quickly. Making her way to the  _Paper Lantern_ , Layla decided to celebrate her new job by eating out. She was sure that she could buy something with the small amount of change she had, even if it was just a spring roll.

As she reached the restaurant, Layla was dismayed to see that it was full, people milling about in the foyer as they waited for the next available table to be free.

"You here to see Warren, Miss?" a voice asked from nearby.

Layla looked in the direction of the voice, and smiled slightly when she saw Mrs. Woo standing beside the restaurant.

"Warren is around back. You go now," Mrs. Woo said, shooing her around the corner.

Surprised into following her order, Layla went to the back of the restaurant. A few of the younger chefs were having a quick break, smoke from their cigarettes littering the air. Holding her breath slightly, Layla smiled and passed them as fast as she could. They continued with their conversation, recognising her from the week before and not stopping her as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Layla? What are you doing here?" Warren hissed, looking around for Mrs. Woo so he could get Layla the hell out before she was noticed.

Layla grinned slightly. "Mrs. Woo sent me around the back because the restaurant's full."

"Of course she did," Warren muttered to himself, now looking for Mrs. Woo to glare at her.

"I was going to eat out to celebrate my job, but I guess that's out of the question considering how full it is out there," Layla said, glancing over his shoulder to see every table occupied.

"I'll see what I can do, okay?"

"Oh, no. I didn't mean it like that. I meant..." she was interrupted by a string of Cantonese from the head chef.

Warren answered back quickly, throwing up his arm as he mentioned Mrs. Woo.

Layla grimaced slightly. "Never mind me, you're busy. I'll just get going."

"If you leave now, Mrs. Woo will never let me live it down. Can you keep yourself entertained for a few hours in the locker room?" Warren asked, guiding her towards the door without waiting for an answer. "I'll be as quick as I can, and then we'll see about celebrating," he added, smiling at her brightly.

His smile must have done something to her knees or to her brain because her knees suddenly felt weak, and she couldn't think of a response. Nodding slightly, Layla moved to sit on the closest bench before her legs gave out on her. Warren shut the door as he called out something else in Cantonese, returning to his job.

...

End of the eighth chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

The after effects of Warren's smile lasted for a while longer than Layla thought they would, but half an hour later, she was bored.

Getting out her homework, she started on the essay she was had been assigned for English for Heroes. Each person in the class had been assigned a newspaper article about a hero's conquest of a villain, but rather than write about the hero, they were to write about the villain: their purpose, intent, and if they were really as bad as the media portrayed them to be. Even when she'd heard about the assignment, Layla had an uneasy feeling about it, reminded of the van with the satellite dish outside of her Great Aunt's house. It seemed as if this particular assignment was geared to see who could think like a villain rather than a hero. With that in mind, Layla intended to write two essays, one in favour and one against the villain. It would take more time, of course, but if she could review other student's assignment from her class, then she'd be able to hand in the appropriate essay. She wasn't being paranoid, since everyone in the super world knew that the Mayor had access to a villain watch list, and Layla had no desire to be put on any such list over a school assignment. Or, after her recent Internet search, be put on any  _more_ watch lists.

When she'd finished the outline for both of her essays, Layla decided that was enough for an hour's work. After tearing a blank page out of her notebook, she put the work back in her bag, and went to the door to check on the kitchen. As soon as the door was open a crack, loud noises filtered into the room. Swearing in both English and Cantonese; a bell dinging every time an order was ready to be served; instructions being shouted across the kitchen; and the pots and pans bubbling and sizzling away. She couldn't see Warren anywhere, so Layla closed the door again, the noise stopping immediately, and returned to the bench.

Certain that she was alone, Layla began to create an orchard of miniature trees on the piece of paper, everything from apples and oranges to lemons and nectarines appearing before her. She kept them up as long as she could, and when they faded back onto the page, Layla attempted it again with a slightly larger tree. By the time she heard the door open behind her two hours later, she had created an apple tree twenty centimetres tall and kept it there for exactly twenty-nine minutes. The door closed, and the tree disappeared, Layla turning to face whoever had come in.

"You all right, hippie?" Warren asked as he walked over to her, two bowls in his hands.

"Fine," she replied, smiling briefly.

He noted the blank piece of paper in her hand, and raised his eyebrow slightly. "You're not supposed to use your powers outside of school," he whispered mockingly.

She flushed slightly but didn't reply.

"I know it's not much, but congratulations on getting the job," he said, offering a bowl of rice and vegetables with black bean sauce.

"That's really nice; I was just going to buy a spring roll or something."

"Just say thank you, hippie," he muttered, sitting on the bench next to her and eating his own meal.

"Thank you, Warren," Layla said, smiling at him brightly.

They ate their food in silence, with the clicking of their chopsticks the only sound for a long time. ( _Layla was relieved to be able to eat Chinese food with someone who actually knew how to use chopsticks, rather than stabbing food with the pointy end. Or attempting to start a sword fight with her_.)

"Oh, almost forgot. I snuck these out too," Warren said, reaching into his pocket for two fortune cookies. He passed one to her with a grin.

"Read mine?" she asked, breaking her cookie in half and offering the end that had the paper inside.

He nodded, doing the same with his own fortune cookie.

"You first this time," Layla prompted.

" _To let true love remain unspoken is the quickest route to a heavy heart_. Your lucky numbers are 29, 5, 7, 32, 18... Huh."

"Aren't those the same numbers we had before?" she asked. "Don't the fortune companies usually print the same fortunes and numbers to save money?"

"Usually. You should have had the same numbers as the last time you got this fortune," Warren said, frowning at the tiny piece of paper.

"I'm telling you, those numbers must really be lucky or something," Layla muttered, then looked at the paper in her hands to read Warren's fortune. " _All it takes to change the world is knowledge_. Your lucky numbers are 18, 32, 7, 5, and 29... Okay, that's just freaking me out now. What are the odds of getting the same numbers four times in a row?"

"I have no idea, but I doubt the odds are meant to be  _this_  good. Maybe they really  **are** lucky," Warren muttered.

The door opened, and a chef started telling Warren off loudly, something that even Layla could tell despite not knowing the language. His words were cut off sharply when he was pulled back into the kitchen by his apron. Moments later, Mrs. Woo appeared at the door, smiling.

"Sorry, sorry. Five more minutes on break, Warren," she said, the door closing behind her.

"Mrs. Woo must like you. She usually tells me off  _before_ Kim," Warren said, looking at Layla quizzically.

"Is it good or bad that she likes me?"

"If I get paid for the extra five minutes, then it's definitely good," he replied with a grin. Then he sat up a bit straighter, his grin fading. "But then, she's cheap, and I don't know how much she likes you. I'd better get back."

"Thanks for the dinner, Warren," she said, squeezing his hand gently before he took their bowls and headed to the kitchen.

"Stay here, I'll take you home," he said over his shoulder.

Layla frowned as the door closed.  _Home. Was it weird that when he'd said that word, she'd immediately thought of **his**  home, his black and red room? Was it weird that a house she'd lived in for almost four months felt less like home than a place she'd only spent the night at_?

Deciding not to continue with her miniature tree growing, Layla created a small vine that wrapped around her arm. Try as she might, the vine refused to bloom, and frustrated, she made it disappear. A few minutes later, she made the vine appear again, but still, no flowers. She tried the same thing five more times over the following hour and a half, but each time received the same result: nothing.

Hearing the door open, Layla hurried to make the vine disappear, standing up when she saw it was one of the younger kitchen hands.

"Hey, you're Warren's girlfriend, right?" he asked, looking her over.

Layla made a noncommittal sound, uncomfortable in the way he was looking at her.  _Maybe the shirt and skirt really weren't as professional as she'd thought they were. She'd even made sure her skirt was below her knees_! Her hands were clasped behind her back, and she started to make a sharp cactus plant.

"Hurry it up, Franco. If you don't get out now, Kim will probably make you stay here overnight."

"All right, Peace, I'm going, I'm going," he muttered, leaving the room quickly.

"You okay, hippie?" Warren said, frowning slightly.

"I'm fine," she replied, showing him the plant in her hand with a grin.

"Oddly enough, I'm impressed... Franco's not known for his subtlety when it comes to the opposite sex," he muttered, shaking his head. "My shift's finishing in about half an hour; do you want to sit out here?"

She nodded, realising that the noise from the kitchen was much quieter. Grabbing her bag, she stepped out beside Warren, seeing that there were only three other people in the kitchen, all of them cleaning up.

"Did you get your homework done?" Warren asked as he started to wipe down the bench.

"Started it. I've got an essay to write for English about the villain's point of view, intent, purpose, and if they really were evil," she said, watching the circular motions of the cloth as he cleaned. "I'm worried about it though; it's like they're trying to see who can think like a villain," Layla admitted quietly, frowning slightly when the cloth stopped moving.

"It's not a good thing to ace that essay. If you've got any qualms about failing, I suggest you put them aside," he said softly, looking at her intently.

"That's what I figured, which is why I started writing two essays."

Warren's intense expression faded and he grinned at her broadly. "Smart, aren't you, hippie?"

"Someone has to be," she retorted, grinning.

He raised an eyebrow at her insult, and flicked his cloth at her, drops of water hitting her face. She made a noise of indignation, dipping her hand into the basin and flicking water back at him. Warren grinned and picked up the extendable faucet and hose.

"You wouldn't," Layla said, but she sounded uncertain even to her own ears.

Warren cast a brief glance around the kitchen, his grin broadening when he realised that they were the only two left. "No one will hear you scream."

"Want to bet on that? I'm very good at screaming. All of those Damsel in Distress classes as a sidekick really teach you how to work your vocal chords."

He laughed at her words, the hose limp in his grasp. Layla snatched it away, turning the weapon back on him quickly.

"Oh, come on, hippie. You wouldn't."

"No one will hear you scream," she taunted, grinning.

Before he had time to say something about her stealing his lines, Layla squeezed the trigger, and Warren was sprayed with warm water. She laughed at his expression, but held the hose out of his reach. A brief thought had the water evaporating from his face in a warm rush of air, and Warren muttered under his breath about psychotic redheads.

"Oh, come on. I made sure it was warm so you wouldn't be hurt with a face full of cold water," Layla said, putting the tap back when he just kept glaring at her.

"What?"

"I doubt you'd enjoy getting doused in cold water when you're a fire ... fighters must be really strong, I mean with all of the lifting they have to do, people and the hoses and stuff, you wouldn't want to have some skinny kid trying to rescue you when he'd probably be crushed by the hose," Layla rambled.

The moment she'd paused, Warren had no doubt that someone had entered the kitchen, and quickly continued to clean the bench, nodding every so often at Layla's words.

"Aren't you done yet, Peace?"

"Just have this bench, and I will be," he replied, wiping the last of it and rinsing out the cloth in the sink. "All done. Come on, let's go," Warren said, grabbing his bag and quickly guiding Layla out of the kitchen. "See you tomorrow night, Kim," he called over his shoulder, the screen door closing with a slam behind him.

Before they'd even turned the corner, the main door was closed and bolted shut.

"Kim is very temperamental, especially when he thinks people aren't working," Warren muttered, continuing to guide Layla up the road, his arm around her waist.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have distracted you," she said with a sheepish look.

"Don't apologise; I was the one who asked you to sit out there with me... Oh, damn it! There goes your bus," he said, sighing as he saw the bus turning the corner ahead.

"It's all right; I didn't really want to go to my Great Aunt's house anyway," Layla admitted.

Warren nodded in understanding, and a moment later, they were crossing the street to get to the opposite bus stop. Not even a minute later, a bus pulled up, empty but for the driver.

"Get on," Warren said.

Trusting him, she stepped forward and boarded the bus. Warren got on behind her, leading her to the back.

"So where does this bus take us?" Layla asked when they were seated.

"It takes the scenic route through town, but one of the stops is only a few streets away from my home. You've missed the last bus to your Great Aunt's, and I'm not going to let you sleep on the street when I have a lumpy and uncomfortable couch to offer," Warren said, grinning.

"How kind of you," Layla drawled, but grinned in return. "Thank you, Warren."

"You're welcome, hippie. Now, tell me why you didn't use cold water..."

"You're a fire elemental, it just seemed kind of cruel to douse you in cold water. It would have hurt you more with the cold than it did with the warm water, am I right?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment, but then nodded. "I'm not good with cold things," he muttered, a memory of freezing water making him fold his arms to ward away the remembered cold.

"When you design your outfit, you should make sure to use a thicker material. Maybe one that absorbs water before it reaches your body... Or one that repels it completely," she murmured.

"Great, I'll start sewing sponges together, shall I?"

Layla just laughed, and he knew that she was imagining him walking around clad in multicoloured sponges.

"I was going to suggest a material similar to one used for wetsuits, but if you really want to go around being called  _Spongeman_ , then go ahead!"

"Do you think wetsuit material would work?" he asked, hoping to change the subject very quickly.

"It might, but I think some are designed to retain body heat, so you'd probably roast yourself. We will have to find a material that lets you power up without harming yourself," Layla replied.

Warren nodded in response, liking the ' _we_ ' part of her sentence more than he probably should have. He reached up around her, ringing the bell for the driver to stop at the next bus stop. He might have let his arm linger about her shoulders before pulling away, but neither one mentioned it. The bus stopped a moment later, and they got off, Layla thanking the driver over her shoulder.

"So, which way is home?" Layla asked, smiling at Warren.

 _Home. He could see their home together, a kitchen for him, a large garden for her, a library with a fireplace and plant boxes on the windowsills, their black, red and green bedroom... Okay, it was official, he **desperately**  needed to get laid_.

"This way," he said with a nod down a side street.

Layla followed him, wondering why Warren was suddenly being distant, and not just emotionally. She quickened her pace to catch up to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Nothing, this just isn't the best part of town," he muttered in reply.

Layla looked at the cookie-cutter houses around them with their small white picket fences, pink flamingoes and novelty garden gnomes strewn about the yards. "Yeah, I can see that. I think that flamingo is the ringleader," she said, indicating to one with a small laugh. "Come on, what's really wrong? And do  **not** say it's the neighbourhood. I could run down the street naked and if anyone in this place was awake to see it, I'd be the talk of the neighbourhood for the rest of their natural born lives," she said, rolling her eyes.

 _Run down the street **naked**... Why on earth was she doing this to him? Had he cooked the rice too long or something? Was it some sort of revenge to see how hard she could make him_?

Not replying, Warren just turned and continued walking, making Layla hurry after him again.

"If you don't tell me what's wrong, then I'll go sleep on the streets tonight," Layla threatened as Warren's home came into view.

"No, you wouldn't."

"I know a nice place with lots of trees and leaves; I would," she replied, stopping in her tracks and folding her arms over her chest. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," he replied truthfully.

 _Oh, no, of course there wasn't. There was absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to kiss her, imagining her naked, building an imaginary home for them to live in inside his head_. It was so ridiculously right that he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she forgot her question.

"See you tomorrow, Warren," Layla said, turning and heading down the street.

He growled slightly, equally amazed and annoyed at how stubborn she was. A line of fire appeared before her, making Layla stop for a moment. Before Warren could feel too victorious, the fire was covered in a vine, and she smirked at him before turning to step over it. He frowned when she didn't move, simply looking at the vine in front of her.  _What was wrong_? He warred with himself for a moment, easily succumbing and moving over to where Layla was frozen on the spot.

"What's wrong?"

"The vine; it's flowering," Layla replied, sounding stunned.

"Yeah, so? We did the same thing before."

"I made the same vine earlier tonight, and it refused to bloom... It was missing something; your fire."

They were both silent for a moment, simply looking down at the green, red and black flowers blooming from the vine.

"Will you please just tell me what's wrong, Warren?" Layla asked.

He was surprised to see tears in her eyes, and immediately hated himself for being the cause of them. Warren sighed, wondering how to tell her what he'd been thinking without sounding completely insane. She shook her head at his silence, and moved to leave again. He grabbed Layla's arm before she could, pulling her against him. Kissing her, Warren kept his hands on her shoulders. He tried to keep control when she kissed him back, her arms around his neck, and quickly pulled his hands away when he felt the flames starting. Layla pulled away from the kiss, her eyes half lidded, and licked her lips.

"Nothing wrong with that," she murmured, opening her eyes properly, smiling at him.

The light from his hands cast interesting shadows on her face, and he watched the dark and light battle across her features.

"I didn't think you'd want anyone near you after Stro..."

Layla kissed him, stopping his words. "Let's not talk about him, okay?"

He agreed with a quick nod.

"Come on, it's getting late, let's go home," she said, taking his hand and heading towards his home. Behind them, the vine disappeared, the petals fading to nothing.

In minutes, Warren had unlocked the front door, let Layla inside, and followed after her, closing and re-locking the door behind him. His mother would already be home, but fast asleep, and he probably wouldn't see her until tomorrow afternoon.

"Is it weird that I think of this as more of a home than I do my Great Aunt's house?" Layla asked in a murmur, her fingers trailing along the wall gently.

"I don't think so," Warren replied, shrugging.

She yawned suddenly, hiding it behind her hand with a guilty look. "Sorry, I didn't sleep well last night," she admitted.

Warren didn't reply, taking her hand and leading her down to his bedroom. "You have the bed this time. I'll be on the couch."

"No, Warren. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing you're out there. It's your bed, you stay here."

He rolled his eyes at her, sitting on the bed to undo his laces and take his boots off. "Get under the sheet already, hippie."

"What?"

"Get into bed. We're  _both_ going to sleep on the bed, and I promise I will continue to be a perfect gentleman," Warren said, trying not to sound as sarcastic as he could have.

Layla frowned slightly, but thankfully, didn't argue, and simply reached down to take her shoes off as well.

"You might want to sleep in your gym shirt; I have a very high body temperature," he said, receiving a nod in reply.

Warren turned around and closed his eyes while Layla changed into her gym shirt and shorts, and she did the same as he stripped down to a pair of briefs. There was an embarrassed silence as they faced each other, and Layla's gaze immediately travelled down. She quickly looked up after seeing the tight briefs, her cheeks red.

"Get in. I don't usually cover up, so you can be safe under the sheet," he said with a slight grin.

Nodding, Layla climbed into the bed, pulling the sheet up as she lay down, facing him. Warren waited until she was comfortable before moving to the bed, lying beside her.

"Good night, Warren," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Good night, Layla," he murmured.

...

End of the ninth chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

Layla woke up, her entire body warm, despite the fact she'd kicked the sheet off during the night. She frowned slightly when she felt an unfamiliar weight on her ribs, opening her eyes to find herself in a very close proximity to Warren's face. Unable to look down due to that fact, she came to the conclusion that his arm was around her, and the extra warmth on her back was from his hand splayed across her spine. She'd held his hand before, but until this moment, she hadn't noticed just how large Warren's hands really were.

It took Layla a moment to realise that one of her arms was resting beneath Warren's pillow, and her other one was wrapped around his body as well, as if she'd taken it upon herself to cocoon him like a flower's petals closing for the night.

" _Layla_ ," Warren moaned breathily, and she stared at him with wide eyes.

He was still fast asleep, which obviously meant he was dreaming of her, and by the sound of that moan, she had no illusions as to what sort of dream he was having. Layla closed her eyes when she felt him stirring beside her, briefly wondering if it was normal to feel  _pleased_  at the idea of someone having an erotic dream about you.

Warren opened his eyes to see Layla beside him. His dream was all too fresh in his mind, and the effects were starting to take place in his body. He unwrapped himself from around her gently, trying not to wake her, pushing away the far-too-enjoyable feeling of waking up beside her, their arms wrapped around one another.

Now, if she'd been naked the way she had been in his dream, Warren probably would have thought he'd died and gone to some twisted version of heaven.  _And now he was thinking of Layla with wings and a ridiculously see-through toga on_. He cursed his imagination, getting off the bed quickly. He opened his chest of drawers, grabbing the first shirt and pair of pants that he saw. ( _He'd learned at an early age to put his clothes away, otherwise he'd wake up in the morning with his favourite shirt as nothing but a pile of ashes._ ) Warren left the room too quickly to notice that Layla had her eyes open.

When the door had shut after Warren's hasty exit, Layla sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress. She opened her bag to pull out her two shirts and skirts from the day before. Deciding to wear her black interview shirt with her black and green skirt, Layla changed quickly, fixing her hair beneath a bandanna she found at the bottom of her school bag. The door opened just as she'd finished pulling her stockings on, and she hurried to straighten the skirt.

"Sorry," Warren said, closing the door quickly.

He wasn't thinking of her, the morning after they finally had sex, watching her pull her clothes on as he lay on the bed.  _He really wasn't_... He wondered if they'd smell of flames and flowers.

The door opened a moment later, Layla smiling apologetically. "Sorry, I tried to be quick."

He just nodded in response, but she didn't seem offended by his silence.

"I'll make you a coffee to make up for it," she said, grinning slightly. "Black with two sugars, right?"

"Yeah," Warren answered, surprised that she knew.

She headed down the hallway, her bag slung over her shoulder. He looked after Layla for a moment, stunned that he was being rewarded with coffee after having dirty thoughts about her.

Layla was determined not to let things get awkward between them. Sure, he'd had an erotic dream about her, but she'd be lying if she hadn't thought about his arms around her before. Her resolve faltered when she made her way into the kitchen to find Ms. Peace sitting at the kitchen bench.

"Good morning, Layla," she said, looking at her over the rim of her coffee mug.

"Good morning, Ms. Peace."

"Would you care to explain why you were sleeping in my son's room?"

"We were both too stubborn to take the couch," Layla replied, pouring coffee into a mug, adding two sugars and stirring.

"Oh?" she murmured, trying not to grin. "Why weren't you at your own home?"

Layla was silent for so long that a prickling sensation began to form in her head, the need to answer Ms. Peace's question starting to overwhelm her. Taking a deep breath, Layla counted to five before answering at her own inclination. "My Great Aunt and I had a fight, and I didn't want to go back to her house."

The prickling feeling disappeared, and there was that look of pity and regret on Ms. Peace's face again.

"She missed the last bus as well," Warren added, coming into the kitchen.

He accepted the coffee mug from Layla with a grin, thanking her. He ignored the surprised look from his mother, the impulse in his head to tell her everything, and opened the refrigerator door to get out the carton of juice. Warren poured a drink for Layla, handing it to her despite her protests that she wasn't hungry or thirsty. In contradiction, her stomach gurgled, and she took the glass with tinged cheeks.

For a moment, all Warren's mother could do was stare. Warren had her habit of small sentences and mere grunts of noise before caffeine, yet here he was, pouring juice and arguing with Layla to just drink the stuff or he'd tip it down the sink.

"So, what are your plans for today?" she asked, redirecting their attention away from what was soon to become a heated discussion over wasting food and drinks.

"We've organised a study session at Ethan's house today," Layla replied.

"I'm working tonight, so I'll be home late," Warren added, though she already knew that.

"Ethan is the sidekick who melts, right?"

They both nodded in response.

"You'll give me his number in case I need to contact you?" she asked Warren.

"I've got my phone with me, mum."

"What happens if the phone runs out of battery the moment I need you, or you accidentally melt it again?" she asked pointedly.

He sighed, searching his phone contacts to find the number. Warren wrote it on a piece of paper, sticking it to the fridge with a magnet.

"I'd better get going now," Layla said, quickly rinsing out her glass. "I want to get all of my homework ready. Thank you again for dinner, Warren," she added with a bright smile.

The plant on top of the fridge seemed to respond to Layla's smile, the leaves themselves brightening, and Warren's mother frowned briefly.  _She thought that thing was fake! And what did Layla mean by dinner? Had they gone on a date? Wasn't she dating Will Stronghold_?

Warren saw the look on his mother's face, knowing that he'd face an inquisition the moment Layla left. "I'll come with you. I have no idea how to get to Ethan's place," he added, leaving to get his bag before his mother could make him change his mind.

"You had dinner with Warren?"

"To celebrate my job," Layla agreed with a nod. "I went to the  _Paper Lantern_  to eat, and Mrs. Woo let me go to the kitchen because they were full."

"That was nice of her," she replied, slightly disappointed that it hadn't been an actual date. Which brought her to her next thought. "How are things going with Will?"

All of a sudden, the plant on the fridge grew abruptly, turning vicious with sharp thorns and sharp teeth, a Venus flytrap that looked like it would bite through her arm if she was close enough.

"He cheated on me with Magenta," Layla said tersely.

"Ready to go, hippie?" Warren asked, not noticing the huge monstrosity on the fridge.

Layla smiled at him, and the Venus flytrap faded to it's original budding form. They both bid her farewell, and she returned it with a wave, not trusting her voice.

It took some time after the front door had closed before Ms. Peace could calm herself enough to get up and venture past the plant. She decided that watering the plant might be a good idea; she had no desire to make that  **thing**  angry at her.

...

The sun was shining, and as it was the first day of the weekend, it seemed as though everyone in the neighbourhood had decided to go out. There were no cars in the driveways, no children running about, no adults mowing their lawns. It was eerily quiet, and neither Layla nor Warren were inclined to break the silence.

"I have to remove the tree from inside the room. Do you want to go in through the front?" Layla asked as they walked up her Great Aunt's driveway to the side of the house.

"I'll go up with you," Warren said, grinning.

"All right, hold on," Layla said as a tree began to sprout from the ground.

Taking hold of the rapidly growing branch, Warren forced himself to keep his eyes open as a foothold grew beneath his feet, and they shot up into the air. Layla stepped onto the roof calmly, but it took a moment longer for Warren to relax his grip on the trunk to follow her. He grabbed a pear before the tree disappeared, watching as it sank back down into the earth as if it had never been there in the first place.

Layla held her hand against the vines that were crisscrossed over her window, frowning when she felt something sticky against her palm. She sniffed her hand gingerly, her stomach churning at the recognised smell of weed killer. The vines were screaming in pain, every cell within them dying at a rapid rate, even as they struggled to keep the life that she had given them.

"What's wrong?" Warren asked, stepping towards her.

"My Great Aunt poured weed killer over the vines. They're screaming; they're dying," Layla murmured, a small sob escaping her.

"Isn't that what you do with your power?" he asked hesitantly.

"No! I return them to whatever I make them out of; the ground, the earth, or back to nutrients in the air itself. I don't  **kill**  them!"

The vines on the window branched out suddenly, circling around Warren's feet, despite the uneven roof. They seemed to be circling, searching, as if they were trying to find a way to get inside him.

"Any time now, hippie," Warren said, not wanting to make any sudden movements in case that set the vines off.

Layla simply watched the vines for a moment, feeling that same sensation rippling beneath her skin. The feeling of waiting, of growing, of something special. She waited a moment longer, the circles becoming smaller around Warren's feet. Suddenly, they disappeared back to the vines that were on the window, and without a word, Layla returned her attention to the window. She started to remove the vines slowly, not wanting to aggravate their pain further.

Warren sat on the roof, finishing off the pear. He'd seen the look on Layla's face as she watched the vines, and had no doubt that one day, she'd simply watch as they entered his body, rippling beneath his skin. Warren found that he didn't mind that thought, and put it down to sexually frustrated hormones, or some twisted version of trust.

On the day of her mother's death, he'd been too stunned by everything that had happened to move to her, and he knew that even if he'd tried, the others would have held him back. While the others had been focused on the green lines beneath her skin, Warren had watched Layla's face. She'd had a look of pure happiness and absolute  _completion_  on her face, as if having her power affect her like that was something she'd been waiting for all of her life. He hoped he'd feel the same way.

He looked over at Layla as she removed the last of the vines from the bedroom window. Warren couldn't help but wonder what the vines inside her body meant and if they were doing something to her, changing her in a way that no one could see.

"There, done," Layla murmured, the final vine disappearing into the house's wooden frame.

She opened the window and stepped into the room. Warren stood up, brushing off his pants and following Layla inside. He saw the open box, a jumper, blanket, a few photographs, books, and odd pieces of jewellery scattered on the floor.

"I'm going to have a quick shower, and then we'll head over to Ethan's, is that all right?" Layla asked as the tree in front of the door began to fade back into the wooden floor.

"Sure. Mind if I read this while I wait?" he asked, picking up one of the books off the floor.

She nodded hesitantly, trusting him to treat her mother's things with care. He sat at her desk, opening the book and starting to read as Layla went through her suitcase to find clean clothes.

"Back soon," she called, leaving to the bathroom quickly.

Warren made a noise in reply, quickly becoming engrossed in the book. It was only when he saw that he was nearly 100 pages in, that he realised he couldn't hear the shower running or Layla moving around. He set the book down, leaving the room.

He was silent as he searched his way through the house, unsure what may have happened to make Layla so quiet. The house was a two-storey, and had all manner of expensive, fancy and delicate things that made it more than obvious that Layla's Great Aunt was rich and had no children to spend the money on, or worry about breaking the ornaments. He was fairly sure that an original Van Gogh painting was hanging in the lounge room.

Warren almost walked past the kitchen, thinking it was some sort of indoor greenhouse, but the lack of plant life in the rest of the house made him double back. He stepped into the room, grass beneath his feet. The few plants that Layla had brought to her Great Aunt's had grown to encompass the entire room, the floorboards ripping up to create trees that brushed against the high ceilings.

He stopped short on seeing Layla standing at what he presumed to be the kitchen bench. Her skin was bathed in a green light from the plants surrounding her, but it was the green lines beneath her skin, and the blank look in her green eyes that made him pause. Vines circled her, as they'd done to him not even half an hour earlier, but these ones didn't seem to be looking for a way to get inside of her. They had a wide berth around Layla's feet, and as Warren stepped closer, they started to climb until they were nothing but a spinning tornado, shielding her body. He could see glimpses of Layla through small gaps in the shield, but she seemed oblivious to him. The moment he tried to move closer to her, the circling shield stopped. The thorns on the vines became sharper, and the gaps between the vines disappeared as they thickened, readying themselves to shoot at him.

...

Raising her arm back, she swung the golf club, hitting the ball with a satisfying  _thwack_. Despite the clear sky, the wind was strong, and she watched in dismay as what  _had_  lined up as a good shot became nothing short of dismal. Her golf ball flew straight into the clump of trees on the edge of the green.

"Oh, bad luck, Greta. You know the rules, you have to play where it lands," one of her so-called friends called, grinning.

Layla's Great Aunt glowered, then turned to her friends with a smile. "Fine, I'll play from the trees, and I'll  _still_  beat you," she said, going over to her buggy.

She didn't wait for a reply, stepping on the pedal and driving down the hill. The wind whipped up her friends' laughter, mocking and taunting her with it as she headed for the trees. Muttering to herself, she stopped the buggy and stepped out, taking her golf club with her. Hitting a few dead branches and fallen leaves out of her way, she eventually found her ball. It was sitting atop a small mound of dirt and grass, resting perfectly so she could hit it out of the trees.

 _This was going to be far too easy_ , she thought to herself, grinning as she moved to line her shot up.

Raising her arm, she cried out when the club got caught in the branches of the tree behind her. She frowned slightly, certain that the branches hadn't been that low a moment ago. Jumping up, she tried to grab the club, but it seemed even higher than before. Muttering out loud, she glared up at the club, and then looked for a dead branch to knock it down with. Not finding any, she looked at the tree itself. There was a small foothold close to the bottom of the trunk, and she figured that she was just tall enough to be able to stand on it and knock the club out of the branches. Taking hold of the trunk, she pulled away sharply, the leaves stinging her hands. Thorns from the vine that was wrapped at the base of the tree scratched at her legs. The wind picked up and her golf club was blown out of the branches. She grabbed it, her vision swimming before her, and ran out of the trees, not caring about her game anymore.

There was some laughter as she stumbled out from the tree line, but it quickly stopped when her friends saw the gouges on her legs and the rash that was spreading up her arms.

"Greta!" she heard her name being shouted, but she couldn't seem to make her lips form words.

Her vision went hazy and she blacked out just as her friends reached her.

...

Layla blinked quickly, startled out of her daze by a powerful smell surrounding her. She frowned slightly on seeing nothing but a wall of vines before her, the plant starting to bloom with red, green and black flowers.

"Warren?" she called out, looking up to see smoke covering the ceiling.

"Are you all right, Layla?" he called, slowly retracting the flames from the vines.

The vines began to fall, dropping to the ground uselessly, to reveal Layla standing in the middle, looking confused and no longer green-veined.

"I'm fine. What happened?" she asked, seeing the plants that had sprouted and trees in the room.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Warren replied briefly.

Around them, the trees and plants began to shrink, returning to their original size, or in the trees' case, back into the floor. Layla looked down, realising that her hand was gripped tightly, and she saw the note from her Great Aunt.

"My Great Aunt wants to send me to a boarding school for supers," she said, smoothing out the note and attached pamphlet.

A group of girls were pictured on the front of the pamphlet, all of them identical in their clothing, hairstyles, and even their smiles. Layla felt sick just looking at them, let alone the idea of a boarding school that would have cliques that she could never fit into; the authority that she'd never accepted, not with her stubbornness, and definitely not with her upbringing at peace protests before she could even walk. Layla had never really liked being friends with girls before her friendship with Magenta ( _and didn't_ _ **that**_ _just prove the reason why_?), and going to an all-girls super school just meant that the girls would be  **super**  bitchy.

"No wonder you went all Amazonian in here," Warren muttered, glancing at the pamphlet in distaste. "What are you going to do?" he asked, looking at her and pulling her out of her thoughts.

"I'm  **not**  going to that school," she said immediately, shaking her head and stepping away from the bench.

A loud ringing noise coming from upstairs startled both of them, and Layla hurried out of the kitchen to where her phone was ringing. The caller ID showed that it was Ethan, and she answered the call quickly.

"Hey... Yeah, sorry... No, he's with me... We're still coming over... We're leaving now... Okay, see you soon," she hung up, looking over to Warren.

"You still want to go? We can stay here and trash the place," he replied with a grin, his fists flaming up.

Layla grinned, the idea making her happier than she thought it would, an image of trees and flames destroying the expensive house around them. She squashed the thrill of satisfaction and shook her head briefly. "I just want to get as far away from here as possible," she muttered, gathering her school things. "Do you think your mum would mind if I spent the night at your house again, just so I can work things out?"

Warren knew that his mother would probably inundate him with questions and presumptive glances for weeks on end, but he nodded anyway. "It'll be fine," he said, picking up his own bag.

"Thanks, Warren," she said, relieved.

Layla packed a change of clothes, underwear, and pyjamas into her school bag, along with her notebooks and pencil case. She closed the bedroom window, but didn't lock it, just in case she wanted to get in that way again later. Leading Warren outside, Layla closed and locked the front door with her key, and they headed down to the bus stop quietly.

The bus arrived a few minutes later, full of loud youths and frustrated adults. Warren glared at two boys who had their feet on the seats, not allowing anyone to sit beside them, chatting to each other over the back rest. Their bravado didn't last long against his low growl, leather jacket, and clenched fists, and in seconds, the two boys were sitting beside each other, the seat behind them empty. Layla grinned as she slid onto the seat, Warren sitting beside her, continuing to glower at the two kids.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the stop closest to Ethan's house, and Warren glared at the two boys again before getting off the bus after Layla. His fierce expression faded when he realised where they were.

"What's wrong?" Layla asked, frowning slightly.

"I didn't realise that Ethan lived so close to Maxville Penitentiary," he replied, looking over at the looming warehouse.

Layla was silent for a moment, and then moved to take his hand in her own. Warren seemed startled by her presence, then shook his head and continued down the road with her, their hands still entwined.

Ethan opened the door with a grin. "Come in, Zach's just finishing the omelettes," he said, leading them into the dining room.

"I've got cheese and bacon omelettes, and for you, Layla, mushroom and spinach omelettes," Zach called out.

"Sounds great," she replied, taking a seat across from Ethan.

Warren sat beside her, silent as he thought of his father, only ten blocks over. Baron Battle, who could explode inanimate objects with little more than a thought, was sitting rotting away in a prison cell, surrounded by power suppressors, the white rooms far too similar to the Detention Room at Sky High. Just the thought of that room made Warren never want to get detention again.

"Okay, who's ready to eat?" Zach asked, coming into the dining room with two plates, miniature omelette towers sitting on both.

"Oh, my god. You really did buy four cartons of eggs, didn't you?" Layla asked, wondering how on earth she was going to be able to eat it all.

"Well, yeah. One carton each," Zach said, setting the plates down. "I wasn't going to miss out just because I burnt out, and I figured you'd have more right than any of us to egg the Mayor's car," he said, shrugging.

"Are there any eggs left?" Warren asked suddenly, brought out his thoughts.

"Nah, man, I used them all up."

"Why?" Ethan asked Warren, frowning briefly.

"Because we know where Stronghold lives, and I figure he could use a few eggs thrown at him."

"Don't tempt me," Layla muttered, reaching across to take an omelette from the plate. After checking it was the vegetarian one, she started to eat, the three guys following suit.

"These are really good, Zach," Ethan said, sounding surprised.

"Thanks, man, love the faith," Zach said, rolling his eyes.

Ethan swallowed quickly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "That's not fair; I've never heard of you cooking before, how was I to know?" he argued.

They bantered for a while, Layla and Warren just watching in amusement as they ate their omelettes. Ethan stopped arguing quickly when he realised he was missing out on Zach's cooking. When the plates were empty and the table cleared, they all took out their relevant homework and assignments.

"Which villain did you get assigned anyway, hippie?" Warren asked after Zach and Ethan asked her about the sort of work she had now as a Hero.

"The Incredible Genius," she replied, reading over the article. "They don't actually tell you much about the villain in the article about their capture," Layla muttered with a frown.

"Well, that's probably one of the reasons you're given it. If you find out any more about the villain other than the fact they were caught for being dastardly to humanity, then you might actually agree with them," Warren muttered.

"W-what? You can't  _agree_  with a villain," Ethan said, shocked.

"The Incredible Genius wanted to make university free for anyone who wanted to study. Of course, attempting to kidnap the Dean of the University of Maxville probably wasn't the best way to go about it," Layla admitted, glancing down at her article. "Especially when he left the phone plugged in. He called himself a genius?"

"Yeah, well that's just  _one_..."

"The Spinner Sisters wanted to abolish the use of harmful chemicals that industries used when making household cleaning agents, bug sprays, and the like," Layla said. "They were originally superheroes who had their own clothing store, but after their seventh appeal to the local government was denied, they turned evil. They changed their name to the Spinner Sisters, and tried to take over Maxville in an attempt to stop the industrial plants by using the city itself as a hostage."

She didn't look at Warren, who was looking at her intently. After hearing about the Spinner Sisters from Ms. Peace, she'd been curious as to what had motivated them to spin entire webs across the town, and had looked them up when she'd had a moment alone.

"Really, seven appeals?" Ethan asked, frowning as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"Okay, so maybe there's two villains. But what about Royal Pain, you can't agree with her, can you?" Zach asked, his tone a mix of triumph and worry.

"Of course not, she was crazy."

Zach sighed in relief, a moment too soon.

"But if she was being bullied that bad, she should have done something else about it, not try to turn all of the superheroes into babies. Besides, her plan wouldn't have worked when everyone's parents found out what she'd done. It'd be pretty hard to hide a house full of screaming infants... What?" Layla asked when she saw their faces.

"You really think everyone's parents would have cared?" Warren asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, I can't imagine your mum liking the idea of you being turned into a baby and being kidnapped by Royal Pain to be raised as a villain. I could probably guess what she'd do to get you back," Layla said.

"What would that be?" Warren asked, his arms folded across his chest as a warning.

Layla ignored the warning, and answered, "She'd get your dad to help find you."

Across from her, both Zach and Ethan paled, staring at Warren as they waited for the inevitable burst of flames and anger.

"Have you been sniffing weed killer or something, hippie? What on earth makes you think my mum would  _willingly_  work with my dad?"

"She loves you more than she hates him. And really, she had to love him at one point, or else you wouldn't exist... Besides, even if he's evil, you're still his son, and I'm sure he'd hate that a villain had hold of you that wasn't himself," she replied, shrugging briefly.

Warren's response was cut off by Layla's phone ringing, and she frowned as she checked the caller ID, not recognising the number.

"Hello, this is Layla," she answered politely, in case it was someone from the Mayor's office.

Zach and Ethan went quiet when they heard Layla gasp, and Warren looked at her in concern.

"I'll be there as soon as I can... Yes, thank you for letting me know," Layla murmured, hanging up.

"What's wrong, Lay?" Zach asked, frowning when she just sat there in a stunned silence.

"It's my Great Aunt... She's been taken to a hospital in Westville. She went off the green at golf to get her ball, and came back covered in a poison rash," she said, glancing at Warren.

He remembered Layla's blank expression as she seemed to see something miles away.  _But this... This just wasn't possible! Was it_?

...

End of the tenth chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

There was a long moment of silence after Layla's statement, and then Warren stood up.

"I'll go with you to the hospital," he said, packing his things.

Grateful, Layla nodded, starting to pack up as well.

"We'll come too. My mum can drive us," Ethan said quickly, going to find his mother before they could argue.

Across from them, Zach closed his notebooks and quietly packed his bag, his thoughts still on the conversation that had been interrupted by the phone call. He was pulled from his thoughts when he saw Warren reach across to Layla, taking her hand and squeezing gently. Zach frowned slightly when he saw the expression on Warren's face. It wasn't quite support and reassurance so much as secretive and protective. He left under the pretence to find Ethan, but stayed in the corridor, listening to whatever they'd say while alone.

"It wasn't you, Layla. It couldn't have been," Warren said quietly.

"How do you know that? Do you really think this is a coincidence, Warren? She wants to send me away, I don't want to go, and suddenly she's been poisoned on a golf course? She goes to the one in Westville, Warren. It's man-made from the grass up; there's no way they'd put poisonous plants on the range!"

"Hey, my mum's just getting ready to go," Ethan announced, walking into the room from the kitchen's entrance.

Zach hurried to go to the kitchen so he could follow Ethan into the dining room. If he'd gone in by the other entrance, it would raise too much suspicion. Moments later, Ethan's mother came in through the hallway entrance, her bag on her shoulder and her hair brushed back into a haphazardly made ponytail.

"Hey, kids, all ready? I'm really sorry to hear about your Great Aunt, Layla. Did the doctors tell you if she'd be okay?"

"It was one of her friends that called me, actually. They told the doctor I was her next-of-kin in place of my mother."

"I'm sure they'll tell you more when you get there," Ethan's mother said sympathetically, and then bustled everyone out to her car.

The forty-minute drive to the private hospital in Westville was silent with everyone consumed by their own thoughts and worries. Layla was given the room number for her Great Aunt, but before they could leave, she was firmly told that only three people could enter at a time, and one of her Great Aunt's friends had stayed behind to look after her. Zach immediately volunteered to stay in the waiting room with Ethan and his mother. Layla thanked them and left with Warren.

"Maybe I shouldn't go in," Warren said as they arrived at the door. "Your Great Aunt doesn't like me, and I doubt she'd like to see me now," he muttered.

"Please, Warren. I need you," Layla said, her hand slipping into his.

He told himself that he was all sorts of sick to be thinking of her saying those words to him,  _breathless as he teased her relentlessly and her hand moving to_... Warren frowned slightly when he felt a vine wrap around his wrist, keeping their hands linked together.  _That didn't help stop the dirty thoughts_...

"All right, I'll come in," he relented.

She smiled in thanks, the vine disappearing as she opened the door.

"You must be Layla? We spoke on the phone; I'm Frieda Olgestein, a friend of your Great Aunt's," a woman said, holding out her hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Olgestein," Layla said, shaking her hand briefly, and immediately taking Warren's again. "Have the doctors said anything about my Great Aunt?"

"Nothing more than what the ambulance drivers said; just that she's been poisoned by some sort of plant, and as no one knows what sort of plant injured her, they won't know how extensive the damage is until they've received the test results," she replied. "The doctor's doing her rounds, but should be back in half an hour," she added when she saw the expression on Layla's face.

"Oh, thank you," she said, looking at her Great Aunt.

The skin that wasn't covered in the poison rash was grey against the white bed, and the rash that had begun on her arms was now covering her neck. The gouges on her legs had been bandaged, but blood was still seeping through the cloth. It looked as though her body was killing her from the inside out, and not even the drugs that the doctors had administered were doing anything to help her.

As Layla watched her Great Aunt, Frieda watched her, a slight frown on her face as she took in the worried expression on the young girl's face.  _ **This**_ _was the unruly rebellious girl who was making Greta Auden's life a living hell? She looked like she was made out of cotton candy and rainbows, for goodness sakes! And if she had been a bit unruly earlier, well, her mother had just died, wasn't that to be expected_?

Frieda decided to talk to Greta when she woke up, to ensure that sending Layla away would really be the best thing. She tried not to tear up when Layla moved forward to take her Great Aunt's hand. Looking at the boy who had entered with her, Frieda was briefly startled to see him watching her intently. Then he looked at Layla, and his entire demeanour changed, his expression softening, like a raging fire cooling down to an ember. ( _Now, wasn't that an odd thought to have about a person_?) Of course, he didn't look like the most pleasant boy, but Greta hadn't always been the best looking person herself.  _Why, before her makeover, she'd looked positively plain_!

Layla glanced back to Warren when she took her Great Aunt's hand. He'd realised what her look meant in a moment; she'd been the one to cause this, and she could take it away, but not in front of her Great Aunt's friend. Warren gave an imperceptible nod, and turned to Frieda, giving her his most charming smile.

( _Well, that smile certainly changed things_ , Frieda thought with a blush.)

"Would you like to get some fresh air with me, Mrs. Olgestein? I'm sure you've done nothing but worry over Layla's Great Aunt all this time, and neglecting yourself in the process," Warren said, offering his arm to her.

She took it with a soft giggle, agreeing that yes, she had been neglecting herself to look after her friend. They were gone in a moment, the door closing behind them with a click. Layla made a mental note to repay Warren in some way later.

Turning back to her Great Aunt, she seriously considered not doing anything. The doctors had no idea what sort of poison it was, and they couldn't treat her in time to save her. She would never be suspected. But... But Layla was still only 16 years old, and her Great Aunt was her only living relative. If her Great Aunt died before Layla was legally recognised as an adult, then she'd be put under the care of the government, which never boded well for those with superpowers. With no parents to look after them, orphaned supers were often taken away and never seen again. Some claimed that the government were training them to be soldiers, others said that they were experimented on. No matter what people thought, they all agreed that whatever happened to the orphaned children, it was not good.

With a sigh, Layla closed her eyes and rested her hand on her Great Aunt's once more. There was a whisper beneath her skin, a recognition of her power. Slowly, pushing away all thoughts of being slapped, weed killer, and boarding school, Layla began to pull on the poison that was within her Great Aunt's body. The poison resisted at first - it had been created with those thoughts in mind and those few minutes of emotion were stronger than her current desire to help her relative - but Layla had been the one to create it, and as such, she had the power to control and remove it. The poison slipped away from her Great Aunt, crawling down her neck and chest, back down her arms and into her hands until it was completely gone. The same poison had prevented the gouges from closing, and now that it was no longer in her body, the blood stopped oozing from her legs.

Layla pulled away with a soft gasp, her eyes bright green. She hurried to make a small bunch of flowers, changing the poison into something harmless and entirely different from it's original form. The flowers wouldn't last as long as hers normally did, but Layla thought it was a small price to pay.

On the hospital bed, her Great Aunt opened her eyes briefly, now feeling heavily medicated from the sedatives and other medication the doctors had given her. She blinked slowly, seeing Layla's red hair beside her, frowning slightly when she saw a green glow from where her eyes should be. Then the door opened, and when she looked back to Layla a moment later, her eyes were brown once more.

"I hope you'll remember this when you wake up," Layla murmured. "I will not be going to that boarding school," she said, softly but firmly.

The doctor stepped forward when she saw Layla had finished talking to her Great Aunt, and gave the young girl a smile, pleased to see that she was taking such care with her relative.

"It seems that the medication is working," she said, seeing that the rash had disappeared completely. "I'll just change your Great Aunt's bandages now. Would you like to help?"

"Oh, I'm not good with blood, sorry. I might come back later," Layla said. She squeezed her Great Aunt's hand briefly, standing and leaving.

"You're lucky to have such a caring niece," the doctor murmured as she unwrapped Greta's bandages.

Greta managed a drowsy nod before slipping back into the darkness.

Not wanting to go to the waiting room, Layla headed further down the corridor. She frowned slightly on hearing Frieda's voice, and noticed a side exit into a small garden.

"Oh, there you are. We were just about to go in to find you, weren't we, cutie?" Frieda asked Warren, squeezing his arm as she smiled up at him.

Layla's lips twitched slightly at the nickname, and she knew that whatever she did to repay him would have to make up for that as well.

"The doctor's just gone in to see my Great Aunt. I thought you'd want to hear how she's going for yourself," she said, gently guiding Frieda to the door.

"Oh, yes, of course. I'm sure the doctor will want to talk to me since I came in with Greta," she murmured, disappointed at the loss of Warren's warmth beside her.

As she stepped into the hospital once more, Frieda straightened her shoulders and headed down to Greta's room with determination.

"You owe me big, hippie," Warren growled.

"Believe me, I know," she said, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Thank you," Layla added, rising on her toes to kiss his cheek.

Surprised at her action, he just stood there dumbly for a moment. "You're welcome," he murmured finally. "I found something I think you'll like," Warren said, taking her hand and leading her towards the back of the garden.

The centre of the garden had a large fountain, ironically named the Fountain of Youth, and it encompassed the entire view when standing in front of it. At the back of the garden, hidden within the privacy of the fountain, stood a garden gazebo, roses climbing the lattice walls and a grape vine circling the edge of the roof.

"It's beautiful," Layla murmured, stepping forward to touch the roses softly.

They seemed to shake out beneath her fingers, making themselves stand out, their colours becoming that bit more vibrant, just for Layla's touch. Warren couldn't blame them for it, really. He followed her, watching as she took a seat within the gazebo, lying back on the cushion. She looked over at him, grinning slightly as the grapes ripened above him. ( _In the imaginary house in Warren's mind, a gazebo was immediately added to the back yard, adjoining the garden, of course_.)

"How'd it go with your Great Aunt?" he asked after picking a bunch of grapes and sitting beside her.

"Well, she's alive and no longer poisoned," Layla replied.

Before he could answer, she took one of the grapes off the small vine, pressing it to his lips. He opened his mouth almost automatically, watching her as he let her place the fruit in his mouth. Warren closed his mouth a moment too soon, her fingertips caught in his lips. He grinned to himself when Layla's cheeks went red, and let his tongue flick against her fingertips gently, letting go a moment later.

"Nice grapes," he said, resting back on the seat. "Mrs. Woo would kill for fruit this fresh," he added, grinning. "Oh, shit.  _Mrs. Woo_ ," Warren hissed, realising that he was meant to be at work at 4pm.

He checked his watch, biting back another curse when he saw that it was already past 3pm.

"It's all right; we'll just leave now and get Ethan's mum to drop you off at the  _Paper Lantern_ ," Layla said, standing quickly.

Taking his hand, she put the grapes back on the vine, and lead him to the door to go back into the hospital.

"Oh, there you are! Layla, come inside. Your Great Aunt is awake and asking for you," Frieda called before they could go past the room. "You too, Warren," she said, smiling at him.

"Go... Get Ethan's mother to take you to work. I'll catch a bus to my Great Aunt's house," Layla muttered, letting go of his hand before Frieda pulled them both inside. "Sorry, Mrs. Olgestein, but Warren's got to leave, or he'll be late for work. You said my Great Aunt was asking for me?" she said, guiding her into the room before she could protest Warren's departure.

He continued down the corridor, almost skidding when he entered the waiting room. Ethan's mother looked suitably worried, and Ethan and Zach looked up from a video playing on the former boy's phone.

"I'm really sorry, but I've got to get to work, would you mind taking me, please?" Warren asked in a rush, charming Ethan's mother with a smile and manners.

"Oh, of course. But what about Layla? How is her Great Aunt?" she asked, even as she stood to leave.

"Layla's going to catch a bus. Her Great Aunt's doing better; it looks like the poison's almost out of her system," he replied.

Ethan and Zach hurried to follow the other two out before they were left behind.

"Dude, do you really think it's okay to let Layla catch a bus back? I mean, it's  _Westville_ ," Zach muttered.

"She'll be fine; Westville's like an entire town for retired rich people," Warren replied, but Zach could see the swirl of smoke that left his clenched fist.

"That's why it has such a high crime rate," Ethan piped up. "People get attacked for their jewellery, handbags, all sorts of stuff... But Layla will be fine," he added quickly, alarmed at the low growl that came from the back seat.

Warren took his phone out of his pocket, sending a text to Layla, instructing her to come to the  _Paper Lantern_  so he could take her to her Great Aunt's after work.

In the hospital, where her Great Aunt had fallen asleep once more (she hadn't said a thing to her, simply looking at her face as intently as her drug-filled system would allow), Layla was immediately chastised for having her phone on. She hurried to say how she'd forgotten to turn it off in her worry, and left to check the message and answer the text. Behind her, the doctor and Frieda both agreed how lucky Greta was to have such a doting niece.

Outside in the garden, Layla read the text with a slight frown. She wasn't fond of taking orders from anyone, and now wasn't any different. Replying that she'd be fine and could take care of herself, Layla wasn't overly surprised to receive a crisp message in return, telling her to just do what he asked so he wouldn't worry. Sighing, Layla agreed to go to the  _Paper Lantern_ , figuring she could do at least that much for him after being called  _cutie_  by Mrs. Olgestein.

Going back into the hospital and down to her Great Aunt's room, the doctor leaving for another patient, she was told that her Great Aunt would be required to stay at the hospital until the poison in her system was cleared, but everything seemed to be getting better. Frieda had already left to get a change of clothes for Greta. Layla was welcome to stay, but her Great Aunt had just been given another dose of medication that would keep her knocked her for a while.

Thanking the doctor, Layla went into the room to get her bag, only to realise that she'd left it in the car. As her purse was in her bag, she had no way of catching the bus back to Maxville. Sighing, Layla looked at her Great Aunt, thinking of the boarding school again. Shaking her head, she left the room before she hurt a defenceless woman. Feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket, Layla to answer the call when she saw it was Ethan.

"Hey Layla. We've just found your bag in the car. Do you want my mum to come back to pick you up?" Ethan offered.

"Would she mind? I don't want to inconvenience her, but I can't stay here overnight, and since my purse is in my bag, I have no way of paying for a bus or taxi."

There was a moment of silence, and she heard the phone exchanging hands.

"We're coming back, hippie. Stay where you are. No arguments," Warren said firmly, ending the call abruptly.

Layla frowned at her phone, but quickly pocketed it when a nurse walked past with a glare at the offending piece of technology. Not feeling comfortable standing in the corridor, and not wanting to risk returning to her Great Aunt's room, Layla went to sit at the front of the hospital.

Ten minutes later, Ethan's mother pulled the car over in the emergency standing, allowing Layla enough time to get in the back seat. She'd barely put her seat belt on before the car pulled out suddenly.

"Sorry, kids! Hold on!"

Layla gripped Warren's hand tightly, and on the other side of Warren, Zach had his eyes screwed up, holding onto the handhold above the door for dear life.

In thirty terrifying minutes' time, Warren arrived at the  _Paper Lantern_  for his shift with only minutes to spare. Layla got out of the car - ensuring to grab her bag this time - and let Warren out, waving goodbye to Ethan and Zach, the latter of whom simply whimpered a farewell, his face pale and his hand still wrapped around the handle tightly.

"You still coming over tonight?" Warren asked, glancing at the restaurant to see if Mrs. Woo was watching the window like she usually did. He saw the curtains move, and a small face disappear from the glass pane.

"No. I'm going back to my Great Aunt's house. I figure if I unpack everything, then she might think it's too much trouble to send me off to boarding school."

"Well, if it doesn't work, let me know. We'll work something out," Warren said, grinning.

She nodded, grinning slightly in return. Layla frowned when she saw Mrs. Woo at the window. "I think you'd better get inside. Mrs. Woo looks about ready to break the glass," she murmured. "I'll text you when I get to the house."

"Make sure you do," he replied, squeezing her hand gently and heading into the restaurant quickly.

Mrs. Woo's face disappeared, and Layla had no doubt that the small woman had gone to the kitchen to interrogate Warren. Shaking her head briefly, she headed down the road to the bus stop.

Staying on the opposite side of the road to the old house, so she couldn't tempt herself to stand in front of it for hours, rebuilding and renovating the structure in her head, Layla simply glanced at it as she passed. As she sat at the bus stop, the Stronghold Real Estate advertised on the seat she was resting on, Layla wondered how much the house cost, but already knew that she couldn't ring Mrs. Stronghold and simply  _ask_.

Mrs. Stronghold was a very inquisitive and sharp-minded woman, who had probably noticed that Layla's absence from the Stronghold residence had nothing to with distance. She doubted that Will had told his mother that they'd broken up, simply for the same reason; Josie would immediately ask why, and Will had never been able to tell a lie convincingly. Avoiding confrontation unless others were around, pretending to have powers for years, all it involved was a small amount of acting. Doing  _that_  was easy, especially where his father was concerned, and his mother could be distracted if he acted childishly and she could coddle him as she'd done when he was younger. But the great and powerful Will Stronghold couldn't look his mother in the eye and tell her that he'd cheated on Layla with Magenta.  _That might result in his Xbox being taken away from him, after all_...

Realising that the blades of grass around the bus stop had started to turn into sharp thin needles, Layla hurried to calm herself down, counting as high as she could in her head until the bus arrived ten minutes later.

Mrs. Stronghold might have been a very smart woman, but Mr. Stronghold...  _Well, he wasn't the smartest man on the planet, not by far_.

...

"What was that call about, Steve?" Josie asked, frowning at her husband briefly.

He knew she didn't like it when he took calls before dinner. They were meant to be the best family the world had ever seen, and how could they be that if he was always on the phone? (Of course, the rule didn't apply to her if  _her_  phone rang before dinner. She could multitask; Steve  _definitely_  couldn't.)

"Someone asking for the price of the old house on Sycamore Street," he replied, frowning as he patted his pockets, trying to find his glasses.

The Mayor was arriving with his wife soon, and he had to protect  _some_  aspect of his secret identity, even if the Mayor knew where he lived.

"That old thing? I thought we'd taken that off the listing years ago?"

"Apparently one of the signs is still at the front. Must've been an old one if they had my number," he added, now searching the table for his elusive glasses.

"Maybe I should take the sign down," Josie murmured, turning to stir the pot on the stove. "Did they sound very interested?"

"In what?"

"The house."

"I've told you already, it's as clean as it's going to get," Steve muttered distractedly, still unable to find his glasses.

"Steve, I'm talking about the phone call! Did the person sound interested about the house on Sycamore? Do you think they'll buy it?"

"Oh. They sounded curious enough, I suppose. Didn't say much after I told them the price... It was $210, wasn't it?"

"No, that price was years ago. The market's gone up since then. Dear Lord, Steve, are you  _trying_  to make us lose the Realtor Sales Award?" Josie asked, sighing.

Turning to see her husband upturning everything she'd just cleaned, Josie glared briefly, and stalked over to him. Steve quickly replaced the placemat, trying not to look guilty, and failing miserably under his wife's glare. Josie reached up and took his glasses off his head, holding them out to him, her lips pursed and her eyebrow raised.

"Ah, thank you, dear," he said, kissing her gently.

"Oh, gross. Could you not do that in the kitchen?" Will groaned, banging his head on the doorframe.

He pulled away sharply when the doorframe creaked in protest, his eyes widening when he saw the dent in the wood.

"I hope you're going upstairs to get changed, Will," Josie said sternly, glancing at the dent with a frown before heading back over to the stove.

He flew upstairs (literally, Josie was fairly sure) before he could get into trouble.

"So, who was the person that rang? Can you ring them back to give them a modified price on the house on Sycamore?" Josie asked, stirring the stew and adjusting the temperature on the stove.

"I didn't exactly get a phone number," Steve admitted hesitantly. "Or their name. It was some foreign name that I couldn't pronounce," he added quickly when Josie just stared at him.

"We've gone over this, Steve! If you can't say the client's name, you give the phone to  _me_ ," she said, sighing heavily.

"I know, dear. The person just seemed very insistent about getting a price at that moment, and you were busy cooking," he said in his defence.

"Well, check your phone for the last received number, and I'll return the call with the appropriate price."

Steve hurried to do so, his grateful feeling fading when he saw that the person had a silent number. Watching as his face fell, Josie sighed, taking the phone from him, her jaw tight when she discovered the same thing.

"I hope you realise that you've just lost us a sale of more than $200,000, Steve."

The doorbell rang, stopping any response he might have made. Josie glared at him as she passed, smiling brightly by the time she opened the front door to welcome the Mayor and his wife.

...

Layla placed the final ornament on the small shelf above her computer, looking around the room. Her suitcase had been unpacked and clothes put away in the wardrobe; books shelved on the bookcase she'd brought from her mother's house; her plants had been removed from the kitchen and placed in the appropriate areas around the room, and; the last of her ornaments and knick-knacks were on display.

It didn't make the room feel more like her own in the slightest, but if she could pretend that it did, then maybe her Great Aunt would have second thoughts about sending her to boarding school. Not that Layla would go even if she did try to send her there. She'd rather live on the streets than attend an awful school that churned out carbon copies of what  **they**  believed to be suitable heroes. Shuddering at the thought, Layla headed down to the kitchen to make something for dinner.

As she ate her pasta and vegetables, Layla thought over the phone conversation she'd had earlier with Mr. Stronghold about the house on Sycamore. The price was more than she'd expected, and he'd sounded hesitant about it, stating that he'd have to double-check with his wife, who knew more about the house than he did. Over the years of seeing their alter egos at work, Layla knew that that was code for the fact that he didn't remember the finer details of the house, including it's price, and even if he did remember later, he couldn't pronounce her name to call her back. A foreign accent, her voice muffled to sound deeper, and Steve was tripping over himself to get off the phone as fast as superhumanly possible.

Sighing to herself, Layla knew that she shouldn't have done this to herself. There was no way her inheritance covered the amount of money needed to buy the house, and even if she worked at the Mayor's office every day until she could get her inheritance, she still wouldn't earn enough money to make up the difference. The bank wouldn't give her a loan while she was still a teenager, and there was no way she was going to ask her Great Aunt for money.

Thinking that her phone was vibrating in her pocket, Layla went to pull it out. She frowned slightly when her fingers wrapped around a piece of paper rather than her phone, and realised that her phone was sitting beside her plate anyway. Taking out the piece of paper, Layla smiled when she saw that it was a fortune. By the yellowing of the paper, it was obvious that it was one from months ago, yet it had somehow survived the washing machine. Her smile faded as she realised that the numbers on the back were the same five that had been on her past two fortunes.

 _You are only as old as you feel inside. Those who feel old will appear old to those around them, and those who feel young will never age_.

Layla carefully placed the fortune beside her phone, an idea starting to form in her mind.

...

End of the eleventh chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

Warren couldn't stop glaring. Zach and Ethan were talking to him, trying to goad him into a conversation about Save the Citizen that afternoon (Zach was bragging that he'd blind them and Ethan would melt so Layla's vines couldn't wrap around him). He ignored them easily enough, his gaze focused on Layla across the cafeteria. She was laughing at something one of the guys was saying to her, and Warren came close to melting his fork.

"She's laughing with them, but she's thinking about you, you know," a voice muttered, a tray dropping beside him.

Donny sat next to Warren, ignoring the suspicious and surprised looks all three gave him.

"Yes, I can read your mind; no, I'm not going to pick a number; and, yes, I am telling the truth," he said, pointing his fork at Ethan, Zach and Warren respectively. "Layla's very good at threatening someone, you know," he remarked casually, glancing over at the redhead across the cafeteria. "The only reason I'm here is because she's threatened to turn me into a big ball of bat shit crazy emotions if I don't tell you the following things," Donny said, waving over at Layla with a sarcastic expression.

"What things?" Ethan asked curiously.

"First, hot head, stop staring at her and eat something. Secondly, she means it, or she won't tell you anything else," Donny said, looking at Warren's full tray for a moment.

Warren didn't do anything for a long moment, but finally, he looked away from Layla, stabbing at his pasta aggressively, shoving a few spirals into his mouth.

"Chew, and don't choke...  _Oh, god_. I'm not his fucking wet nurse," Donny hissed.

"Hey, don't talk about Layla's thoughts like that," Zach said, glaring at him since Warren seemed preoccupied with his mouthful.

He nodded his agreement quickly, his empty fist flaming.

"Just a touch temperamental there, aren't you?" Donny muttered. "Anyway, third and final thing. She says that she's worked out how to play the numbers. I'm not getting anything more specific than that, she's making sure I don't. You're supposed to know what she means, so don't give me that look."

Warren swallowed his food, glancing over to Layla briefly. He finally realised just who she was sitting with, and purposely kept his thoughts vague when Donny looked at him intently.

"I'll tell her you were a good messenger boy, Donny. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll let you get in a punch or two during Save the Citizen."

Donny blanched slightly at the thought of going against them again. "I'm not doing this again, got it? I don't care what threats either of you make," he muttered, leaving the table without waiting for an answer.

"So, uh, what's going on, dude?" Zach asked quietly, looking over his shoulder to see Layla.

"Can't tell you," Warren said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Ethan asked, frowning at him.

"Because I can't talk with my mouth full," he replied with a slow grin, taking a mouthful and chewing.

Silence washed over the cafeteria, people turning their heads to look at the newest gossip fodder. Warren could really care less about gossip, but the last time they'd all gone this silent, it had been revealed that Will had cheated on Layla. Looking over in the same direction, he was more than shocked to see Will and Magenta making out at their table. Disgusted at the fact their tongues were down each other's throats while other people were  _attempting_  to eat, Warren looked away immediately.

Across from him, Zach started to glow. Having no desire to be blinded when he still had half a plate of pasta to get through, Warren kicked his shin hard.

"Ow, dude! What the hell was that for?" Zach cried out.

At his sudden noise, the cafeteria seemed to return to normal, chatter and whispers flooding the room once more. Ignoring Zach's question, Warren looked over to where Layla was sitting. She was slightly pale, but seemed all right otherwise. Smiling at something someone said, Layla tore her attention away from the spectacle that Will and Magenta had become, and forced herself to rejoin the conversation.

"So, are you going to tell us what Donny meant about Layla's comment?" Ethan asked, looking at him.

"Don't count on it," Warren replied, taking another mouthful with a grin.

For the next fifteen minutes of lunch, he made sure to keep his mouth full of food or water in order to avoid their questions. The bell rang, forcing Zach and Ethan to leave the cafeteria to get to their next class on time. Zach kept his gaze firmly ahead and didn't look back, not even when Magenta called out to him. Staying at the table a moment longer, Warren made sure that Layla was all right with her new friends, one of whom was the Carbon Copy kid.

...

"All right, Williams and Peace, heroes or villains?" Boomer asked, his pen poised above his clipboard.

"Villains," Layla said, trying not to make her grin seem  _too_  evil.

"Good, something different," Boomer muttered, nodding in appreciation. "All right, who are you going up against this time?"

"Zach and Ethan," Warren said, pointing them out.

There was a small amount of cheering from the stands as Ethan and Zach stood up. Grinning, Zach raised his hands, indicating for more noise as they made their way to the arena. Ethan gave his phone to the sidekick girl who could turn into a ball, previously having arranged for her to record the fight between them.

"Hurry it up, sidekicks!" Boomer called.

They hurried down to the arena, clipping on their protective gear. Zach frowned, muttering as he tried to tighten the straps in vain. Ethan quickly helped him before Boomer could sonic them.

"You know the rules; both teams have a minute to discuss your strategies. When the buzzer sounds, you start," Boomer said, adjusting his cap.

 _Two sidekicks against two heroes. This fight was going to be over in seconds_ , he thought to himself, shaking his head.

"Zach's been bragging how he's going to blind us with his power, and Ethan's going to melt so you can't capture him," Warren said to Layla, glancing over at their opponents briefly.

"How water-like do you think Ethan is when melted?" she asked with a grin.

"Not sure, but I can find out," he replied, grinning too. "You can handle the glow stick?"

"Should be able to," Layla said, sounding uncertain.

Neither one knew exactly how Zach's powers had changed, and he was an unknown threat. It was possible that he could blind both Warren and Layla before they could do a thing against them.

"I'll deal with Ethan quickly, so if you can't deal with him, then we can work on Zach together," Warren said.

Layla nodded in response just as the buzzer rang. Ethan immediately melted, making his way to the citizen in the middle of the gym. Avoiding Zach, Warren made his way to the citizen as well.

Staying where he was, Zach clapped his hands with a grin, spreading his arms on either side of his body, an imitation of his stance in Power Placement. This time, the glow that came from his body was actually noticeable, and began to brighten. Layla threw out a burst of power that had a tree growing in front of him, the low hanging leaves blocking Zach entirely. Between the gaps of the leaves, she could see a bright flash of light. Slowly, the light faded, and Layla let the tree return to the floor boards. Zach was standing there, the glow gone completely and the students around them watching intently. Then he grinned at her, making Layla realise she'd made the mistake of underestimating him. Before she could make anything grow in front of him or even raise her arm to shield her eyes, Zach lit up in a burst of bright light similar to a camera flash, blinding her momentarily. She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes to help her vision return to normal.

Warren, who had created a ring of fire around Ethan's melted form, saw the flash from the corner of his eye, and turned his attention to where Layla was standing with her eyes covered. Ethan hurried to reform in the circle of flames, jumping through them to land on Warren's back. He melted a bit, making sure he stuck to Warren so he couldn't be dislodged easily.

"What the hell?" Warren muttered, trying to hit him off.

"Go, Zach!" Ethan called.

Zach grinned, running over to the citizen. He had no way of getting the citizen off the rope while it was still so high up, and glanced over his shoulder anxiously to see if Layla was still incapacitated by his light. She was still standing there, her hands pressed to her eyes.

Ethan held on as tight as he could, even as he felt Warren's body heating up beneath him. While he wasn't pure water molecules when melted, Ethan was still susceptible to extreme heat. The same applied when he was half-melted the way he was at the moment, and his hands and body began to burn.

"Zach, attack!" he called out, dropping off Warren's back when the older boy went up in flames.

Hearing his friend's cry, Zach turned, his body starting to glow immediately. He didn't have a chance to flash brightly, as a vine encircled his ankle, pulling him to the ground sharply. Behind him, Layla was still standing with her hands covering her eyes, a vine travelling down her body. While she was still trying to get her vision back, she'd made a vine grow, sending it along the arena floor to find Zach. It didn't have eyes, of course, but this particular plant had feeler-like hairs, allowing it to recognise the difference between a lamp post and a human. The vine sprouted large leaves, covering Zach from head to toe before he could brighten and blind Warren.

There was a loud crunching sound behind Warren, and he turned to see the citizen being devoured by the metal teeth, her cries for help stopping as her voice box was destroyed. Ignoring the loud cheers that erupted, Warren headed to where Layla was standing, slowly lowering her hands from her eyes and blinking slowly.

"You all right, hippie?" he asked, ready to burn a hole in Zach if she was harmed in any way.

"A bit better now. It took too long to get over that flash of light," Layla replied with a frown. "I think he's given me a headache."

"Make way, make way," Nurse Spex muttered, trying to get through the crowd.

She was holding two small jars, more resting in her pockets. Half were to treat burns while the other half were filled with an antiseptic to treat any scrapes the opposing team might get from Layla's sharp plants. Ethan had suffered burns to his chest, arms and hands, while Zach had a circle of welts around his ankles. Her eyes widened comically as she held the small jars, trying to read the tiny labels. Nurse Spex handed them a jar each, instructing them to put the salves on straight away and then rest on the bleachers for the rest of the lesson. When she turned to return to the teacher's area, Zach and Ethan swapped jars.

"Who do you want to go against now?" Warren asked, glancing at the crowd around them.

"Craig, the Carbon Copy kid, and you can choose someone else," Layla said quietly.

"Why him?" Warren muttered.

"Because I made a deal with him; if I can defeat him at Save the Citizen, he'll play the fortune numbers in lotto for us."

He didn't seem appeased at her answer, but nodded reluctantly. Layla really thought those numbers were special, and after the numerous fortunes they'd received with those same numbers, Warren was beginning to agree.

"Come on, you two. Who are you choosing now?" Boomer called.

"We choose Craig," Layla called, indicating to him.

"And that kid next to him," Warren added, indicating the dark skinned boy with bad hair.

"He's got super acid spit," Layla muttered quietly, trying to think of something that could work against him.

"Heroes or villains?" Boomer asked, attaching the new citizen to the rope.

"Heroes," Warren answered.

In a matter of moments, the citizen was hanging precariously above the metal teeth, and Craig stood on the opposite side of the arena with his friend, Adam.

"Okay, your minute starts... Now!"

"Should I take acid kid or carbon copy?"

"I doubt your fire will be able to eradicate the acid. I've got some thick plants that might be able to handle it," Layla muttered, glancing over at the pair.

"All right... This Craig character, can he mimic powers or just make himself look like other people?"

"From what I heard at lunch, he can gains the person's powers as well, but not for long."

"Right. We'll need something to recognise each other," he murmured, glancing at her briefly.

Nodding in return, she turned around, Warren following her action a moment later. "It'll hurt, but I can stab your wrist, and you can burn mine," Layla said, putting her hand out.

"See, now I was thinking we could just use a strip of material."

"You want me to rip my shirt up over Save the Citizen? I don't think so."

"Fine then, give me your hand," he sighed, a flame appearing on his open palm.

Layla took his hand, and the flame slowly travelled up their hands until it was completely wrapped around her wrist. She bit her tongue, squeezing her eyes shut as the flame began to burn, a perfect line wrapping around her wrist. In return, Layla made a vine appear, gently coiled in her palm. As with the flame, it crept it's way up until it was wrapped around Warren's wrist. All at once, the sharp thorns stabbed into his skin, a perfect circle of holes. Warren clenched his jaw tightly so he wouldn't cry out in pain.

The buzzer sounded, and they let go of each other's hand, the flame disappearing and the vine fading, the thorns dropping onto the floor boards harmlessly, sinking into the wood grain.

"Ready?" she asked, grinning slightly.

"Didn't you know? I was born ready," he replied with a grin of his own.

Together, they ran forward, Layla's vines spiralling out towards Adam, and Warren shooting a ball of fire at Craig. Both missed their targets, but it made their opponents move. Adam was attempting to spit acid at the citizen, trying to make it fall. Craig was powering up, turning into a version of Larry's rock form. Warren's second fireball hit him, and he howled in pain as the fire scorched him. It seemed that Larry could still feel pain, which Layla thought he should have known, considering the injuries Larry had received from Will. Conjuring a large leaf, she held it in front of Adam, but a moment later, his acidic spit corroded the leaf entirely. Trying to remember everything about corrosive acids she'd learnt in Mad Science, Layla started creating an entire forest designed to distract Adam. At first, the trees were quickly eaten away by the acid, but as the minutes passed, the acid took longer and longer to work.

"Quick, I've got him trapped. This way!" Warren said from between the trees.

Glancing down briefly, Layla saw that his wrists were free of any wounds. In moments, the fake Warren was bound to a tree. Smoke began to rise from behind the bindings, and with the close proximity of the trees, a fire soon began to rage. Craig quickly changed into a copy of Ethan, melting and moving away as fast as his liquified form allowed. Looking at the clock, Layla hurried to shoot out a vine, criss-crossing them over the metal teeth so the citizen wouldn't be injured. Out the corner of her eye, she saw a copy of herself running into the burning trees, calling for Warren to help her.

"Don't listen to him!" Layla called out. "It's Craig pretending to me!"

"That's what Craig  _would_  say! Please, help!" her voice called out.

From the edge of the forest, the smoke and fire lessened, disappearing completely as Warren stepped out from the tree line, black smudges on his face.

"How'd you know it wasn't me?" she asked as he threw a fireball at the rope holding the citizen.

The citizen continued to cry out for help, even as it dropped towards the vines. It bounced off the vines harmlessly, and Warren caught the mannequin before it smacked into his face.

"If it really was you, then I'd expect you to escape that on your own. You were surrounded by trees, after all, and you know how to deal with a simple fire."

"We should probably put that out before ..."

Above them, the fire alarm started ringing, the sprinkler system starting and drenching the already-screaming students with water.

"Before that?" Warren asked with a grin.

Ignoring the alarm, they turned to the flaming forest, working to remove the trees and fire quickly. In moments, the fire alarm stopped sounding, the fire and smoke completely gone. Behind them the buzzer sounded, and Warren threw the citizen to the ground.

Craig was lying in the middle of what had been the forest, while Adam had been stuck further back, unable to corrode the trees and get out of the haze of smoke. Neither one was burned too badly, only suffering a few singed hairs and smoke inhalation. Nurse Spex took them to her office to give them oxygen. Moments after Boomer had declared Layla and Warren as the winners the final bell rang, indicating that school was over for the day.

Grinning at Layla, Warren's expression faded when he realised just how good she looked when drenched. One drop flowed down her neck, towards her very wet and clinging shirt and shorts.  _Dear god, her gym shirt really_ _ **was**_ _see-through, even more so when wet_. Despite the protective gear she was wearing, he could still see enough to make him move in front of her so no one else would notice. His fists started to flame when he saw goosebumps trailing across her skin. Layla thanked him quietly, hurrying to the girl's change rooms.

The doors opened, and Warren turned to watch as everyone filed out of the gymnasium, shaking drops of water off their clothes and bodies. He saw a few people talking to Ethan excitedly. The small boy seemed surprised, but beside him, Zach was nodding at whatever they were saying.  _One game of Save the Citizen and they're already trying to get groupies_. Shaking his head, Warren went to change clothes, and returned to the arena to wait for Layla.

"Ready to go, Warren?" Layla asked, pulling her wet hair back into a ponytail as she came out of the change rooms. She winced slightly as the burn around her wrist made the action painful.

"Let me see that," he muttered, taking her wrist carefully. His own wrist was hurting as well, the thorn-made holes turning into a welt of circles and drying blood.

"It's fine. Really," she insisted, moving her wrist out of his grasp. "Let me see yours."

Warren shook his head. "If you refuse to let me heal you, then I'm not letting you heal me."

"Stubborn," Layla muttered. "It's not a bad burn, and I've got salve at home."

"You really your Great Aunt to see you with a burn mark around your wrist?" Warren countered as they left the gym and made their way to the bus.

"Do you want your mother to see you with vine marks around yours?" she retorted.

"Fine by me, hippie... Hey, when do you start your job anyway?" he asked with a brief frown.

"Next Monday. Apparently, the Mayor has a big professional development thing this week and everyone's attending, so I can't be left alone, or trained while they're not there," Layla muttered.

"Fair enough. Who knows, you could steal everyone's staplers, or draw moustaches on all of the Mayor's posters and photographs," Warren said, his serious tone contradicted by the grin on his lips.

"Of course, that's the epitome of being evil," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"It would be, according to the Mayor," he said, still grinning. He let her get on the bus first, and they made their way to the usual seat at the back.

"If I was going to be  _that_ , I'd at least make it for something more worthy than a few handlebar moustaches drawn on the Mayor's photos," Layla muttered.

"Oh, yeah? What did you have in mind then?" he asked, no hint of a grin this time.

They were both aware of how they were treading a very thin and careful line between light-hearted fun and deadly serious. The kind of serious that could get them a cell between Royal Pain and his father, or killed.

Layla glanced at Warren as they sat down, keeping her expression neutral as the bus began its journey.

"Nothing less than world domination, of course. Then you can draw on all of the ex-Mayor's photographs and posters without retribution."

 _World domination? That was asking for a lot_... But there was a feeling growing in Warren that if anyone could achieve that goal, it would be Layla.

"Town by town, I hope? I'm sure there are a lot of Mayors out there with cheesy photographs that need to be graffitied."

"Of course, is there any other way? We'll need to purchase a lot of permanent markers. Maybe Ethan and Zach know where to buy some."

 _Oh, god, they were_ _ **actually**_ _going to discuss this? And really, she wanted to recruit Ethan and Zach first_? Warren wondered if it was a good or bad thing that he could see why she'd want to. The former was nothing short of brilliant, despite his less than heroic power, and the latter's power was beginning to grow into something that might become deadly one day.

The bus launched off the side of the school, dropping for a terrifying moment to the screams of the students around them. Warren immediately turned to Layla, his lips at her ear to continue their conversation in private. She copied the motion, waiting for him to talk. He took a moment before he did, squashing the feeling of being nothing more than his father's son. He knew that he wasn't; his father would have never had a partner, would never had discussed a thing, would never had done a thing that involved a plan other than ' _destroy everything in sight_ '. Warren was not his father, no matter what this conversation implied.

"Donny would be able to read them to find out where to get permanent markers, or Craig could turn into them to know what they're thinking," he suggested, since they'd both proven that they were open to blackmail and bribery.

"I don't think Craig's power works like that, but it's a good idea," Layla agreed with a nod. "What do you think of Adam and Larry?"

"Adam might know where to buy some. But Larry seems as though he'd take one whiff and pass out."

"True; he is prone to injury, despite his power," Layla said in disappointment. "What about Ritchie?"

"Not sure about him yet. There can't be that many permanent markers around, can there?"

"It's highly possible. I've heard that a lot of permanent markers just took to hiding after Homecoming last year," she replied.

"Who'd you hear that from? I didn't think many markers advertised that sort of thing," Warren muttered.

"Gossip, of course. I know of one or two who might be swayed from a plain marker to permanent," Layla said.

With that, she turned to face the front once more. He quickly followed suit, and moments later, the bus landed bumpily on the closed freeway, both gripping the bar in front of them tightly.

"Are you working tonight?" Layla asked pleasantly, smiling briefly.

"Not tonight; the restaurant's closed on Monday's," Warren replied, trying to gather his composure to shed the evil feeling they'd created with their conversation.

"Would you like to come over to study? I've almost finished my essay, but I wanted to ask you to read it over, in case it's really bad and I fail. My Great Aunt's still in hospital, and I could really use the company," she added.

He nodded, grateful for the offer.  _Maybe he'd have enough time to make his emotions a bit more pleasant, more vanilla-hero, before having to go home to his mother. She'd pick him apart if she knew what he was feeling right now_.

Beside him, Layla simply smiled gently, as if she knew what he was thinking, as if they hadn't just had a whole conversation about recruiting people to help dominate the world in the guise of buying permanent markers. She took his hand in her own, still keeping her gaze forward, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

 _Well_ , Warren thought to himself,  _ **that**_ _was definitely one way to calm and change his emotions. Not that he'd want his mother knowing_ _ **these**_ _emotions and thoughts either_ , his fingers threading between Layla's.

...

End of the twelfth chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

"When's your Great Aunt meant to be getting out of hospital?" Warren asked Layla as they made their way up the street.

"Tomorrow afternoon. Mrs. Olgestein's offered to pick her up and look after her here until I get home from school," Layla replied. "There's no poison left in her system, but it made her body weak, and the doctor wanted to keep her in for observation."

"Has she been lucid enough to talk about the boarding school?"

"Not really; she's been kept fairly drugged up. I'm just hoping she'll forget about it entirely," Layla muttered.

"What if she doesn't?" Warren asked, waiting as Layla opened the front door.

"Then I'll think of something else. I refuse to go to a boarding school, no matter if she's my legal guardian or not."

"Well, if you need, I've still got that lumpy and uncomfortable lounge on offer," he said with a grin, following her into the house and closing the door behind him.

"I'd prefer your bed," Layla replied, stopping short when she realised the innuendo. "Sorry, I meant... It's just that... I mean... After Will and Magenta today... I didn't..."

"Hey, calm down, hippie. I know what you meant," he said soothingly. "And really, after their display at lunch, I'm surprised you were able to sit beside me on the bus," Warren said, chuckling briefly.

"Oh yeah, that took a lot of willpower," she said drily.

"Good to know," he replied, raising his eyebrow slightly. His gaze travelled down her body, landing on the burn mark that was still around her wrist. "Will you let me heal that now?"

"Only if you'll let me heal yours."

Warren didn't bother bringing up the fact that he was only refusing because she'd refused in the first place, and nodded in reply.

"Leave a scar, would you? That way we'll always know and won't have to go through it again," he muttered.

"That's what I was trying to do with mine," Layla agreed, her fingers touching his wrist gently. "I can't make this scar though; it's not deep enough to cause any permanent damage to your skin," she said with a slight frown.

"Let me check yours," Warren said, taking her offered wrist carefully.

A small pulse of power told him that the burn was only a layer deep. It would have to go much further to mark her indefinitely.

"This one's not enough either," he said, shaking his head.

Layla looked up at him for a moment, silently asking if he would burn and mark her. Warren looked away from her pleading gaze, glancing at the small holes around his wrist.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I won't be able to reverse it. You'll always have the scarred skin, and believe me, it won't be the prettiest thing to look at," he said, looking back at her.

"I don't care about it being pretty, Warren. I want this; I want you to do this to me," Layla said firmly.

" _Why_?"

"Because the world isn't fair. It isn't pretty; it's an ugly place that causes people pain, and I don't want to ever forget that."

He couldn't tell her that she was being irrational, or that she was still too emotional over her mother's death. She was right -  _the world wasn't a fair or pretty place_  - but Warren still didn't think that this was the best reminder for it.

"Please, Warren. I know it will hurt, but I don't care. I want to have the scar to match what I feel inside. Trust me, the feeling will never fade, and neither will the scar.  _Please_ ," Layla begged.

He didn't reply for another three minutes, time simply ticking by as he thought of exactly how bad this would be. Then he began to think how good it could be. It was more than twisted, even Warren knew that, but he would always know that he was talking to Layla, no matter who attempted to turn into her, and she would be marked by him;  _forever marked as his_ , some primeval and territorial part of his brain thought.  _And he'd be marked by her, forever hers_ , the thought giving him more pleasure than he imagined it would.

"We'll do it at the same time. I don't want to hurt you so bad that you can't retaliate," he said with a heavy sigh.

Layla agreed, nodding sombrely and holding out her wrist.

"Do we really have to do it in the foyer, hippie? We're right by the front door," Warren muttered.

"We can do it upstairs in the bedroom. I'll make sure vines block out the noise," she added, leading him up the staircase.

 _He was not turned on by her words, he was not turned on by her words. Oh, god. He was so definitely turned on by her words_. Warren briefly wondered when it was that he'd stopped caring that she turned him on.

Layla closed the door behind him, and in moments, they were plunged into relative darkness, the vines covering the windowpane. For an added measure, she also closed the blinds. Layla held her left wrist out, patiently waiting for Warren to take it before holding his offered left wrist as well.

"Ready?" she asked quietly.

Warren nodded in response. A spike-covered vine trailed its way down her arm and wrapped around his wrist gently. His fist lit up in flames, the fire moving across their clasped hands to wrap around Layla's wrist harmlessly.

"One... Two... Three," they counted together slowly.

All at once, her wrist started to burn like it had never done before. His wrist was pierced by what felt like hundreds of thorns and tiny spikes. The fire blistered her skin, the flames making their way deeper through each layer. The spikes tore through layers of skin, piercing bloody holes into his wrist. They were both screaming in pain, had fallen to their knees as the pain overwhelmed them, and still it continued. The fire didn't seem inclined to stop, burning deeper and deeper until Layla was sure it had reached her bone itself. The thorns and spikes grew longer and sharper, and Warren could have sworn that they pierced through his bone. Her arm began to burn, the very skeletal bone on fire. His arm started to go limp, his skeleton weakened from the holes that had pierced it.

Slowly, their power began to fade from each other. The burning sensation in her arm began to lessen, and the strength in his began to return to normal. It was over in what felt like seconds, but could have been hours. Layla realised that she'd stopped screaming, and Warren blinked, his throat feeling scratchy.

"Are you okay?" he rasped, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah, you?" she asked, her voice not sounding much better.

Warren managed to nod in return, and they slowly let go of each other's wrist to see what they'd done. Rather than the scarred and burnt skin she'd expected, Layla had a perfect line of red flames wrapping around her wrist. Warren had been expecting hundreds of holes or something that would require bandaging, but around his wrist was a perfect circle of vines, thorns decorating the green line. There was no blood on either one, and as they flexed their wrists gently, they both realised that there was no pain either. It was as if they'd simply tattooed one another with their powers.

...

Layla stood up first, leaving to get water for them both. Warren sank back on his haunches, looking at the neat vine tattooed around his wrist again. His cuff would cover it easily, and only they would know it was there. Layla returned a moment later with two large glasses of water, they drank slowly, keeping their eyes on each other.

"So, do you really think Craig's going to follow through on playing those lotto numbers?" Warren asked, standing as his legs began to cramp.

"I'll make sure he doesn't back out. I'm giving him my money and going along as his daughter so he can pretend to be forgetful and I can tell him the numbers at the last minute. I'm not giving him those numbers and having him win."

"Two things, hippie. First, don't get your hopes up on this; it isn't guaranteed that you'll actually win anything. Second, you realise that I probably could have played the numbers if I just didn't shave for a couple of days?"

"You shave?"

"Since freshman year," he replied with a nod.

"Two whole years, you must be so proud," Layla dead panned.

Warren just raised an eyebrow at her, finishing the last of his water and setting the glass down on the desk.

"I mean it, hippie. Don't set yourself up for disappointment with this. You might not win a thing."

"You mean that we might not win a thing," she replied.

"What?" Warren asked in confusion; he didn't remember anything about wasting  _his_  hard-earned money being part of the plan.

"I'm not going to set myself up for disappointment. I'm just going to get Craig to play it this one time, and then we're waiting for our 18th birthdays. You put in a ticket on your birthday, and I'll put one in on mine. If we don't win anything on any three tries, then I won't bring it up again," Layla said seriously.

Warren frowned slightly, waiting for the catch.

"Deal?" she asked, holding her hand out.

"That's it? Three tries and you'll forget about it?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes..."

Warren held her hand, shaking it, and as she grinned at him, he had a feeling of being played.

"However, if we win anything on any of them, then it's a different matter," Layla said, grinning. "Then, we play every single birthday until gambling is outlawed," she added, shaking his hand in return.

"God damn it, Layla. Do you know how much revenue gambling brings in every year? It's  _never_  going to be outlawed," Warren groaned.

She grinned at his expression, her eyes alight with laughter. Muttering to himself, he moved to sit on the chair.

"Didn't you say you had an essay you wanted me to read over?" he asked reluctantly, trying not to think about what he'd just agreed to.

Nodding, Layla rummaged in her bag to find her notebook. Taking the offered book from her, Warren flipped through the pages to find her essay.

"Is this the hero worship one?" he asked, stopping at a page near the middle. "Never mind," he added, seeing the words  _I love heroes_  written at the top.

Layla reached over him to turn her computer on. Ethan had promised to email her the videos of her and Warren's Save the Citizen games when he got home, and he was always punctual.

"What're you doing?" Warren asked, distracted by the sweet honeysuckle and earthy vine smell of her body being so close to his.

He refused to look up from the essay, sure that he'd back her against the closest surface to see if she tasted as good as she smelled.

"Ethan's sending me the videos of our Save the Citizen fights; I thought we could watch them together and take notes for next time," Layla said with a grin, unaware of the path his thoughts were leading him down.

"Are you going to get another chair then?" he asked, still not looking up.

"Nah, we can just sit on the bed. The screen's big enough," Layla said with a shrug.

Now Warren did look up. He looked at her, trying to see if she was serious or not. Realising that she was serious, he turned his attention back to the notebook, trying to think of everything  _other_  than making out with her. His hands were close to flaming out of control.

"Do you want to get comfortable while I get the videos ready?" she offered.

Nodding briefly, he stood up off the chair, moving past her carefully so they wouldn't touch, and sat on the edge of her mattress precariously. Layla quickly opened her browser, downloaded the videos from Ethan, and set them up to play. When she was sure the volume was loud enough for them to hear properly, she sat on next to Warren on her bed, moving back so she was comfortable. She frowned slightly when she saw just how straight and on edge Warren looked. It was such a contrast to how he usually sat.

"You can move back, you know," Layla said.

He shook his head slightly, keeping his eyes on the screen. Her frown lessened as she too, turned her attention to the video. As the videos continued, and they played for the second, fourth, sixth times, Warren began to relax and move onto the bed properly. Eventually, they were sitting side by side, their bodies touching as they laughed and talked over the scenes.

"He definitely got too close to you there, hippie! If he'd got any closer, he could have had a hand around your throat instantly!" Warren was saying of the fake-Warren.

"He was pretending to be you; you wouldn't have choked me," Layla countered. "Besides, I saw that he didn't have the vine mark on his wrist," she added, taking his hand, her fingers caressing his wrist.

Beneath her fingertips, the vine started to spin, growing thicker at her touch. Distracted from the video, they both watched the vine moving around his wrist. Curious, Warren reached out to touch hers, and the flames began to circle around her wrist, the fire becoming wild beneath his fingers.

"Warren?" Layla murmured, looking at him intently.

Tearing his gaze away from the spinning flames, he looked up at her, their faces only inches apart. She kissed him, her lips soft against his, her hand wrapped around his wrist as she leaned against him. He kissed her back, his mouth responding before his mind caught up. Warren pulled away moments later, his lips hot and tingling. Layla licked her lips, smiling.

"I thought you said you didn't want to? I mean, after Stronghold and Magenta today," he muttered, knowing that he'd probably regret his words.

"I know," she agreed with a sigh, sitting up properly. "You saw everyone whispering about them at lunch, and I just don't want to do that. Not only that, but I really don't want you to be a rebound or something. Does that sound stupid? And you just broke up with Freeze Girl, do you know what I mean?" Layla asked, knowing that she was probably rambling.

Warren was right: he regretted his words.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It doesn't sound stupid. You want to wait until we're both ready," he reiterated.

 _He really should have just kept kissing her, never mind his conscience_.

"Yes, that's exactly right," she said with a relieved smile. "Hopefully it won't be too long," Layla muttered.

Warren chuckled, pulling her down for one more kiss before stopping again.

"So how was my essay? Enough hero worship for me to fail miserably?" Layla asked with a grin, sitting up.

"If you don't fail, I have no faith in the teachers at Sky High. You'll probably get some sort of Failure Award for that piece of work," Warren said, grinning in return.

"Did you fail?"

"Spectacularly. Wasn't too hard, considering I got an article about my father's capture. Although, it was somewhat difficult to muster up the required fanfare for the Commander. I got the assignment the same day I had that fight with Stronghold; I wasn't exactly at my peak of emotional strength at that time. I think they realised I was bullshitting when I attempted to kill Stronghold in the cafeteria," he added with a grin.

"I'm sure that didn't help," she agreed. "But really, there are a lot of second generation supers who wouldn't mind attempting the same thing. The Commander and Jetstream don't always make friends with people they meet," Layla said.

Warren scoffed in disbelief. "All right, then. Name five second-gen supers who'd take a stab at Stronghold."

"I can name eleven," she retorted. "Zach, Royal Pain, Lash, Speed, you, me, and the five Penny's."

"She only counts as one," he said immediately. "I'm not fond of you grouping us in with that lot, anyway. I doubt Zach would like it either."

"Well, they're all second generation," she said with a shrug.

"All right then, who currently enrolled at Sky High would try to hurt Stronghold, and why? Besides us and Zach," Warren added.

"Ben Armstrong, he's the boy with six arms we fought against. His father worked at the bank and was severely injured when the Commander broke in through the bank's roof to stop a robbery. He almost brought the building down, injured twelve different people, but since he caught the robbers, there was no retribution. Armstrong's father was paid out due to his spinal injury, and now does seasonal work as a tax consultant, while his mother works three jobs to pay the bills and send him to school.

"Wendy Walker manipulates the weather, and was friends with Gwen Grayson. Her mother was a very successful super until Jetstream and the Commander teamed up, and I'm sure she'd love to take a swing at the guy who reduced her pocket money from two hundred dollars a month to fifty. For someone who can manipulate the weather, she's a very shallow person," Layla commented, shaking her head briefly.

"How do you know all that about Wendy? Isn't she a senior?"

"Girls talk for a  _ridiculous_  amount of time in the bathroom."

He conceded with a nod. From the screen, a loud explosion sounded, distracting them. It seemed Layla's trees ripping up the gym floor were noisier than expected.

"You'll tell me when Craig does the lotto numbers, yeah?" Warren asked as they both turned their attention back to the video.

"Yeah, I'll let you know... For the next Save the Citizen game, we should work on using our powers at the same time against both opponents, rather than one on one. We know we can defeat them individually, but what about together?"

"I think we'd be unstoppable then," Warren said with a grin, his hand resting in hers gently.

She laughed against his shoulder, squeezing his hand and looking at the screen once more.

...

"Warren? Are you okay?"

Blinking his sleep away, Warren sat up, slowly disentangling himself from Layla, who had fallen asleep against his shoulder. His ringing phone had woken him up, and he'd answered simply to make the noise stop.

"Hi Mum. I'm fine," he whispered.

"Why are you whispering? Have you been kidnapped? What do you remember about the journey?"

"I'm whispering because Layla's asleep. I haven't been kidnapped, Mum," Warren said with a sigh.

"You're with Layla? And you're afraid of waking her up  _because_? Are you two having sex? You're being safe, right?"

"Mum!" he hissed, his eyes closing as he wished for some way to erase this particular conversation with his mother. "I don't want to wake her because she's sleeping and it's almost midnight. She just broke up with Stronghold, so no, we're not having sex."

"And that's the only reason?" his mother sounded amused, even through the phone.

"I'm hanging up now. I'll see you tomorrow."

"So you're staying there then?"

Warren felt the phone be taken from him, and turned quickly to see Layla there, holding her finger up to keep him silent.

"Hello, Ms. Peace? Yes, I'm sorry about keeping Warren so late; we lost track of the time... Of course, definitely. Next time, I'll make sure to get Warren to call you. Yes, thank you, good night," she said, grinning at him briefly. "Say goodnight to your mother while I set up the lounge."

Taking the phone from her, Warren was surprised to find that his mother wasn't as angry as he'd thought she would be.

"Just remember: next time, call me. If you don't, then I will call the Mayor himself to have someone find you. You live under my roof, you tell me when you're not going to be home, understood?"

"Yes, Mum. Sorry, I'll make sure to call next time. Good night," Warren said quickly, hanging up after she returned the sentiment.

Making his way to the upstairs lounge room, he grinned slightly when he saw Layla asleep on the lounge, the sheets beside her.

"Hey, hippie. Come on, get to bed. I can manage a sheet by myself," he said with a grin, rousing her and helping her to stand.

She yawned but nodded in response, kissing his cheek. "Goodnight, Warren," Layla said sleepily over her shoulder as she left, dragging her feet.

Shaking his head, Warren turned and shook out a sheet to cover the lounge. Shucking off his pants, he pulled his shirt over his head. Lying down on the lounge, he shifted a few times before deeming himself comfortable. Warren fell asleep quicker than he thought he would, his cheek still tingling from Layla's light kiss.

...

End of the thirteenth chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

Layla entered the kitchen the next morning to find Warren standing in front of the espresso machine, looking both incredulous and ready to worship the stainless steel appliance before him.

"All right there, Warren?" she asked in amusement, reaching around him to turn the machine on for him.

"Fine."

 _It seemed that even a very expensive coffee machine couldn't make Warren a morning person_ , Layla thought, grinning to herself.

"Do you want anything to eat? There's bread for toast, or cereal?" she offered, reaching up to take a plate from the cabinet for her own breakfast.

Warren shook his head, keeping his gaze firmly on the coffee machine when he noticed how Layla's skirt rode up with her action. He didn't look away until it was time to leave, but she didn't seem to mind that he wasn't paying her attention. (It was so unlike Freeze Girl's constant need for attention that a few times Warren actually contemplated checking to see if Layla was still sitting there or not. A moment later, he would hear her sigh, or tap, or make some sort of noise, and he would relax, taking a sip of the coffee to help fire up his neurones.)

As the bus made its way over the hill, Layla looked at Warren, smiling briefly when she saw that he looked much more alert now. It was a wonder he managed to get to the bus on his own in the morning.

"Does your mother always assume you've been kidnapped if you don't go home or ring?" Layla asked, checking to ensure their conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"Not always. Last night was the first time in about a year," he replied with a shrug. "My father kidnapped me when I was a child, and I don't think she ever really got over it."

Layla simply stared at him for a moment, shocked at the blasé tone he was using. Then she noticed his fists clenching and her stunned expression faded.

"How did you get away?"

"I blew a hole in the wall. It was mostly accidental because I was ..." -  _Terrified, scared, angry, confused, worried about leaving Mum alone_. - "... emotional," he said shortly. "Either way, it worked and he never tried to do it again."

Nodding briefly at the gloss and sugar coated response, Layla slid a little closer to him, taking his hand in her own. She didn't offer any words of sympathy or pity, simply because she didn't have any, and she'd hated every fake word that had spilled from others' lips at her mother's funeral and wake. She wouldn't subject Warren to the same false words.

For the rest of the ride, Warren just looked out of the window, pretending to take an interest in the light grey clouds that were building. Both were silent, not even crying out when the bus took off. He kept her hand in his until the bus landed at Sky High (holding onto the rail with one hand was an interesting experience), and slowly disentangled their fingers.

"Hey, Warren? Thanks for telling me about that; I know it mustn't have been comfortable to relive all of those emotions and memories," Layla said when they were off the bus and alone.

He shrugged briefly. "It was a long time ago. I'm over it."

Shaking her head slightly, Layla stood on her tiptoes, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. Stepping back before either of them could deepen the kiss, Layla smiled at Warren, telling him that she'd meet him outside for lunch.

Watching as she left, Warren waited for a moment before making his way into the building. He stomped his feet a few times, telling himself sternly that he did  **not**  go weak in the knees over a kiss as simple and chaste as that.

...

By lunch time, the few clouds that Warren had noticed earlier that morning were completely black, a storm raging around the school as the buildings and grounds were pelted with heavy raindrops.

Of course, due to the extreme weather, there was little choice but to sit in the cafeteria to eat. Layla sat with her back to Will and Magenta, who had started making out the moment they were close enough to do so. Zach looked a little green and decided to sit beside Layla, a growl from Warren on the other side of her not even enough to change his mind. Ethan slid onto a seat opposite them, frowning slightly as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"It feels very badass to be sitting on my own like this," he commented after a moment, starting to grin.

"Yeah, you look totally badass with a ketchup stain on your shirt, Popsicle," Warren muttered.

Seeing that he was right about the stain, Ethan frowned, hurrying to clean it.

"I got the videos of Save the Citizen you sent me; thanks for those," Layla said.

"Have you watched them yet? I took some notes, and I'd be interested to go over them with you."

"Don't say that, Eth! They'll just get better and whoop our butts faster next time!" Zach said with a groan.

"You lasted the entire game. That was longer than some of the heroes," Warren pointed out.

Zach opened and closed his mouth a few times, eventually settling on a frown. "That's not the point. You shouldn't give them pointers on their game!"

"We'd reciprocate, Zach," Layla said, grinning slightly when he perked up. "You tell us things we did wrong, and we do the same for you."

He grinned cockily. "I didn't do a thing wrong; I was made of pure awesomeness."

"You took too long to light up and didn't hurt Warren, which was one of the few things that cost you the game," she replied.

His grin slipped and he muttered under his breath.

"Speaking of Save the Citizen," Ethan said, nudging the conversation along. "I've been approached by a lot of heroes and sidekicks who would like to fight against you."

"What?" Warren asked, surprised. He'd seen the sidekicks talking to Ethan and Zach after the game, but he hadn't thought it had been about this.

"Everyone's seen how you fight, and they're eager to go against you. Of course, they're also ecstatic at a chance to actually fight. One senior  _hero_  hasn't even played before!"

"Why not?" Layla asked, frowning.

"Apparently, Lash and Speed only fought against sidekicks unless Boomer made them pick a hero. Even then, it was only against heroes they knew they could beat without a fuss," Zach replied.

"The idea of actually being able to participate has encouraged a lot of requests to fight against you. I've even started a schedule and begun to pair up heroes and sidekicks for you," Ethan said, quickly going into his bag to bring out a red-covered book.

He opened the first page to reveal a list of heroes and sidekicks, their powers and whether they'd fought in Save the Citizen before. Some of the heroes and sidekicks were linked by perfectly straight lines, while others seemed to be colour coded, and a third set were joined by corresponding numbers. The page was already filled, and Layla dreaded what she would see if she turned the page.

"I thought it would be better to go against people who haven't fought before, but it's up to you. Of course, it's also depends on whether you continue to win or not," Ethan added, grinning briefly.

"Can you send me a copy of that? If people are coming to you to make an appointment, you might as well keep the book," Layla said.

"You're really okay for me to do this?" Ethan asked, sounding hopeful and anxious at the same time.

"Go ahead, Popsicle. Just don't go over the top with it, understood?" Warren said with a glare.

"No, no. Of course not! Discretion is my middle name," he replied, grinning.

"Yeah, right. Have you seen your wardrobe?" Zach asked with a laugh.

"Like you're one to talk," Ethan muttered.

Offended, Zach launched into a long story about bright colours and glowing, while Ethan defended his own choice of clothing.

 _They sound like an old married couple_ , Layla thought to herself, shaking her head with a brief smile.

...

Walking up the road, Layla saw an unfamiliar car sitting on her Great Aunt's driveway. Guessing it to be Mrs. Olgestein's, she glanced at the two-storey house to ensure that no windows were broken, just in case. Everything seemed fine, and she continued to walk at a leisurely pace.

"Oh, hello, Layla," Frieda called from the front door as she walked up the driveway.

"Hello, Mrs. Olgestein, how are you?" she asked with a brief smile, stepping through the open door.

Frieda looked as though she'd caked on her makeup, large and obnoxious earrings sparkling on either side of her face. She looked a few years younger, but it definitely was not in a good way.

"Fine, fine," she replied distractedly, glancing outside. "Is Warren not with you today?"

"No, Warren's working tonight," Layla replied, grinning slightly when the old woman's hopeful expression fell.

"Ah, well. Let's go find your Great Aunt. She's insisted on walking around the entire house, despite the doctors telling her to rest. She must have really missed being at home, even if it was just for three nights," Frieda said, shaking her head.

Layla followed Frieda obligingly, a frown flitting on her face. It sounded like her Great Aunt didn't trust her to stay in the house for three days without stealing everything and selling it to the highest bidder...

They found her Great Aunt in the lounge room, just straightening the Van Gogh painting as if she'd taken it off the wall to check that it was the original rather than a poster.

"Don't exert yourself, Greta. I'm sure the painting was straight before you touched it," Frieda tutted. "Why don't you sit down now, and I'll go get us some drinks?" she suggested, leading Greta to an armchair. "Layla, you'll keep your Great Aunt company, won't you, dear?"

"Of course," Layla replied, sitting across from her, folding her hands in her lap demurely.

Greta waited until Frieda had left to glare at Layla. "I don't know what you did, girl, but I know you're the reason I was poisoned."

"I don't see how. I've never been to the golf course before, and I was studying with Ethan, Zach and Warren when I got the phone call about you being hospitalised," Layla said truthfully.

She kept her expression and voice calm, and didn't look away from her Great Aunt's face. Greta looked away first, her eyes roaming over the various ornaments to ensure they were all there. They both heard footsteps approaching, and Frieda appeared with a tray, three glasses resting on it.

"Here we are. A lemonade for each of you," she said, handing the glasses to them. "And a gin and tonic for me," Frieda said, settling down on the lounge beside Layla.

"How much gin did you use?" Greta asked with a half-hearted glare. She was still fairly drugged up and still couldn't manage a full glare.

"About three fingers' worth," Frieda replied, smirking. "Henry's leaving on a business trip tonight, and I want to get absolutely smashed in celebration."

"Who is Henry?" Layla asked with a brief smile.

"My husband... Thing is, we're both retired and since handing over the business to our daughter, he hasn't been needed at work in  _years_. Business trip, my ass," she scoffed, taking a large gulp of her drink.

" _Oh_ ," Layla said a moment later, when she realised what Frieda meant. "Why are you celebrating then?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Because when he gets to the hotel he booked, he'll find that the floozy is actually an actress hired by my divorce attorney," Frieda said with a chuckle. "It voids everything in the prenup just by him going to meet with her, and when they're done in the three point five seconds it'll take him, the floozy's going to give him the divorce papers. I'm going to sue the pants off of him, although I still haven't figured out if I mean that literally or not... He owns a lot of very nice Armani suits," she mused.

"Literally, Frieda. Sue the pants off him," Greta muttered. "It's not the first time he's cheated on you," she said, her voice thick.

"Yes, yes. I know, you kept telling me I was weak to stay with him. But he's all I've ever known, and it's hard to let go of that," Frieda said.

"I'll be right back," Layla murmured quietly, leaving the room before either one could reply. She returned moments later with two boxes: one of tissues, and one of chocolates. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'm going to go study now."

"Thank you, dear," Frieda said, taking one of the larger chocolates.

Greta nodded at Layla briefly, taking a chocolate as well. "You can't back down, Frieda. He'll just keep walking over you..."

Leaving them to their discussion, Layla hurried upstairs. Despite leaving her door closed that morning, it was now wide open. Stepping inside, she saw a few things out of place immediately. One of her shirts was on the end of her bed when she'd left it in the middle, her mother's jumper was lying over the back of her chair rather than on the seat, and the jewellery box was open.

Frowning on seeing the last one, Layla closed the door behind her and went over to the small box on the dresser. She looked at the pieces of jewellery to ensure that they were all there, but soon discovered that her mother's flower brooch was missing. Her frown deepened, and she opened all of the small drawers, checking each piece more carefully this time. Taking the box, she tipped everything out onto the floor. A small tree grew, quickly sorting and separating everything onto individual branches. The brooch was still missing. Sending a vine to search the floor in case it had fallen, Layla clenched her hands tightly when it returned empty, the vine sinking down into the floorboards once more.

Wrenching her door open, she heard Frieda's sobs from downstairs, and her Great Aunt's words to try and make her angry rather than sad. Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Layla made her way downstairs. She would ask her Great Aunt very politely about the brooch, and if she said that she didn't have it,  _then_  Layla would send her vine to search through the whole damned house.

Layla moved closer to the lounge room, seeing her Great Aunt sitting beside Frieda, the box of chocolates on her lap and the tissues wedged between them.

"Put the gin bottle down, Frieda. You're not going to achieve anything by intoxicating yourself to the point of hospitalisation..." Greta sighed heavily. "You should stay the night, Frieda. You're obviously in no state to drive, and I'm not allowed to drive while under the influence of these drugs..."

Something shiny glinted straight into Layla's eye, and she looked for the offending item inside the lounge room. Her jaw clenched tightly when she saw the red, green and black flower brooch pinned to her Great Aunt's shirt.

She refused to step into the room and confront her over taking the brooch, not knowing what she'd do to her Great Aunt, even with Frieda there beside her. Layla turned on her heel, making her way back upstairs. She would get her mother's brooch back, no matter what it took.

...

Frieda had composed herself in time for dinner, but her breath still smelled of gin and her eyes were still fairly red. Layla served dinner wordlessly, giving the woman a brief sympathetic smile.

"This is really nice, Layla. Did you make it yourself?" Frieda asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes. It was my mother's favourite meal. I haven't cooked it since she died," she replied quietly.

"Oh, well ... what made you want to cook it tonight?"

"I thought it would be a nice  _welcome home_  meal for my Great Aunt."

"Oh, isn't that lovely, Greta?"

Her Great Aunt didn't reply, and Frieda gave Layla a look as if to say that she was silent due to the drugs that were still in her system.

"That's a lovely brooch," Layla commented as pleasantly as she could. "Where did you get it?" she asked, looking at her Great Aunt.

There was silence for a very long moment, and when it became clear that Greta wasn't going to answer, Frieda hurried to make her own observations. Internally, she wondered why her friend was glaring at Layla and refusing to answer her seemingly simple question.

"It  _is_  a very unique brooch; I was commenting earlier how I've never seen it in a catalogue or store before, and how I don't think Greta has ever worn a brooch. I think this one suits her."

Of course it was unique; it was made by a stall vendor at a weekend market that had long since closed. It was the first thing Layla had bought for her mother using her own earned money. It was cheap, only fifteen dollars, but she'd saved to buy that brooch for months, begging the elderly woman to not sell it until she had the money. At six years old, Layla had been as cute as a button, pigtails braided and a green tunic over a flowing brown skirt that her mother had sewn for her. The vendor had no chance at denying her a thing, and reluctantly agreed. It had taken three weeks of chores to get the money, and then a few hours cajoling her mother to return to the market. It had all been worth it though, when she'd seen the delighted look on her mother's face on her birthday the next week. She'd worn it for months straight until the clasp became loose and she almost lost it during one particularly rough protest. Her mother had put it away, reserving it for special occasions, and Layla had lit up every time she'd seen her wearing the brooch, even six months ago for her thirty-fifth birthday.

"Graham bought this for me years ago for one of our first anniversaries. I thought about him a lot in hospital, and decided to start wearing it again," Greta said, not looking up from her meal.

"Really? It doesn't seem like Graham's style. He was always one for diamonds, more than shiny trinkets," Frieda said, looking at the brooch more closely with a frown.

Greta glared at her friend, standing abruptly. "I'm going to bed now. You know where the guest room is," she muttered, leaving before either one could say a word.

"I suppose all of those tablets they gave her made your Great Aunt grumpy as well," Frieda said, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Now, tell me, dear, what are your plans after school? College, a job? I know a lovely restaurant that could do with a good chef... The one they've got is nice enough, but he doesn't believe in salt or spices," she said, pulling a face.

"Oh, I don't think I could do that. This is one of the few dishes I know how to make, and I doubt I'd be confident in a kitchen environment..." Layla said, trailing off. She smiled quickly, and hurried to answer Frieda's actual question. "After school, I'm hoping to go to college, but it depends on the available scholarships. I'm still not sure what I want to major in, so I'm hoping to get a more concrete idea of my future when I start working at my new job."

"You have a job? Greta never mentioned anything about it."

"I found out on Friday, and didn't get a chance to tell her before everything that happened at the golf course on Saturday."

"Oh... Well, this scholarship bit is nonsense; I'm sure Greta would be all too happy to help you further your education!" Frieda said.

"I couldn't possibly ask her for that, Mrs. Olgestein. My Great Aunt worked very hard for that money, and I'm sure that she has more important things to spend it on than me," Layla replied with a tight smile. "I'll just wash up now if you're finished?" she offered, standing and waiting to take Frieda's plate.

"Yes, thank you, dear."

Frieda watched as Layla left for the kitchen, the plates and glasses balanced carefully in her hands. When she was gone, she looked to the door that Greta had left through, frowning as she recollected her friend's behaviour towards Layla. So far, she'd only seen the young girl be polite and caring, yet Greta maintained that she was the devil incarnate. Layla's smile didn't slip, she didn't glare when she thought no one was looking, and she'd been nothing but pleasant. Frieda doubted that any demons would put it upon themselves to wash dishes either. Standing, she went to help Layla clean up, hoping that Greta's behaviour really was just an effect of the medication.

...

Late the next morning, Frieda woke up with a hangover, the empty bottle of gin cradled in her arms, and no memory of how she'd got there. Sitting up with a small groan of pain, she was glad for the dark curtains hanging up. Small threads of light wove their way into the room, enough for her to see the tray sitting on the bedside table. Picking up the note lying between the glass of juice and the small vase with a yellow rose, she opened it to read the words inside, a small square falling onto her lap.

_Dear Mrs. Olgestein,_

_I hope that you aren't feeling too poorly after last night._

_I brought you some juice to help with the dehydration, and despite your request, I didn't destroy your photograph of Henry._

_While I am still young, I have had my heart broken, and I understand how it feels to lose a friend in this way. I will not degrade your feelings or marriage by making any further parallels between our relationships._

_I haven't known you for very long, but I can already tell that you are a strong person, and I am positive that you are strong enough to get through this. You may surprise yourself at your own strength as well._

_Have a pleasant day, and I hope you feel better soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Layla_.

Looking down at the small photograph of herself and Henry, Frieda clenched her jaw slightly. Folding up the note once more, she tucked the photo inside, deciding to destroy it when she had her husband's money in her account. Of course, the money wouldn't make up for his cheating or the destruction of their relationship, but it would be a nice start.  _Maybe she'd take a cruise somewhere sunny_.

Drinking the juice slowly, Frieda was surprised to find that her hangover didn't feel as bad as she thought it would be, and put the note in her purse. It would be a note that she would look to whenever she felt her resolve failing. One day in the future the creases on the page would become so worn that it would fall to pieces in her hand, but when that day came, she would be strong enough to continue without needing the words in print.

For now, Frieda simply stood up, set the glass down, and rushed out to the bathroom, realising that she had been wrong.  _The hangover_ _ **was**_ _as bad as she'd thought it would be_.

...

"Are you sure you kids don't want something to eat or drink?"

"No, thank you, Ms. Peace," Layla, Zach and Ethan chorused, returning their attention to their work when the woman left the dining room.

Warren refused to look up until his mother was gone. "I told you it was a bad idea to come here," he hissed.

"It's not  _that_  bad, dude. Mrs. Stronghold was worse," Zach pointed out.

They all grimaced at the memory of Josie Stronghold coming into the lounge room like clockwork every thirty minutes to check on her son, make sure they were studying, offering food, and bringing in cookies in the middle of a heated discussion over who would win in a zombie versus vampires fight. (The results were still undecided as it is surprisingly difficult to argue while eating cookies, and a parent is watching and waiting for praise for their cooking.)

"Yeah, that's true. If my mother brings in cookies, I vote we leave," Warren muttered.

"I second that vote, but only if we take the cookies on the way out," Layla said, grinning.

"Was there any possibility of us leaving  _without_  the food?" Zach asked, laughing.

"Where would we go then?" Ethan asked, looking at each of them in turn.

"My Great Aunt's. She hasn't hosted a study group yet," Layla said.

The expression on her face sort of  _definitely_  scared Ethan and Zach, and they could have sworn her eyes flashed green for a moment there.

"Is it all right for you to leave your Great Aunt alone since she only got out of hospital yesterday?" Ethan asked, frowning.

"Mrs. Olgestein offered to keep her company until I got home, because  _they both think that my studies are very important_ ," she quoted sarcastically.

"Hmm, I think you're trying to imply something there, Lay, but I'm not sure what," Zach said, rolling his eyes at her.

"That her Great Aunt doesn't care about her stud...  _Oh_ , never mind," Ethan said quickly when they all looked at him.

Warren shook his head, and looked back to the mathematics book in front of him.  _If a superhero and sidekick are travelling at 100km an hour towards the centre of a city, where the villain has already had the hero's girlfriend tied up for the last fifteen minutes and is monologuing to her, how long will it take before the hero can save her_?

"This is ridiculous; the question doesn't even make sense!" he growled, his hands flaming.

Layla rolled her eyes at him, taking the spray bottle off the table beside her and spraying water on the book. It wasn't the first time he'd set the book on fire that afternoon.

"What's the question?" she asked, holding out her hand for the book.

Warren gave it to her, the cover wet and curled from the flames, and watched as she read the question, his arms folded over his chest. Layla flipped the page, and he bit his tongue so he wouldn't swear - his mother had a sixth sense when it came to things like that. He hadn't looked at the next page, and had no idea if whatever was written would help answer the question.

"If the centre of the city is an hour away from where the hero and sidekick are, and the villain takes an hour and a half to finish his monologue, as it says here, then it will take the hero fifteen minutes to save her. So, you want option C:  _twenty minutes due to the sidekick giving wrong directions_."

"Hey!" Zach and Ethan cried out in indignation.

"Don't give me that. I doubt yours are any better about heroes," Warren muttered, taking the book back from Layla. "Thanks, hippie."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "Although, if you can't work that out, you might want to seriously consider choosing someone  _really_  smart to be your hero support," Layla added, her smile becoming wicked.

"The pain, will it never cease?" he said sarcastically, writing the answer in his book.

He tried not think about that wicked smile, but it was getting harder to keep thoughts of Layla out of his head.

"Hi, kids! I brought cookies for you," Warren's mother announced, opening the door and walking in with a plate of choc-chip cookies.

Frowning at each other, Zach and Ethan wondered if they were really going to leave now. Without a word, Layla and Warren both started to pack their things, and as a feeling of pressure began pressing in their heads, the two boys hurried to follow suit. Taking a handful of cookies each, they left the house with their bags slung over their shoulders.

Taking one of the few remaining cookies (to keep those had taken more of her power than she expected;  _dear god, did those kids like to eat_!), Warren's mother grinned at finally getting the house to herself, and bit into the cookie as she left to watch TV with the volume up loud.

...

End of the fourteenth chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hello?" Layla called out politely. "I've brought some friends over to study," she added, not knowing what state her Great Aunt would be in.

"That's nice, isn't it, Greta?" Frieda asked as they came out of the kitchen.

Greta didn't look overly pleased, her eyes narrowing when she saw Warren. Beside her, Frieda brightened up considerably and hurried over to take his arm, leading him to the dining room.

Zach bit his knuckles in an attempt to muffle his laugh, but became serious when he passed Layla's Great Aunt, quickly taking his hat off at her brief glare.

"Nice to see you again, ma'am," he said, hurrying past her.

"Hello, Mrs. Auden. It's wonderful to see you again, and may I say what a lovely house you have?" Ethan gushed nervously, almost running past when he saw the unimpressed look on the woman's face.

"I am sorry for bringing them all over unannounced like this, but it wasn't working out at Warren's house, and they've all been asking to see where I live now, so I thought it would be like hitting two birds with one stone... Which is kind of an awful saying if you think about it, I mean, really, who would want to hurt birds in that way?"

"Stop your rambling, girl, and go already," Greta growled, glaring at her.

Layla hung her head and passed her Great Aunt to go to the dining room, but there was an air of smug satisfaction to her that made Greta's fist clench. She turned to see Frieda standing behind her, looking appalled at the way she'd spoken to Layla.

"Really, Greta! Was that necessary? She was apologising for having friends over to  **study** , for goodness sakes! They're not in there partying, you know."

Greta didn't reply, instead turning and going back into the kitchen. Her leaving didn't stop Frieda as it usually did, and her friend followed her into the kitchen, telling her just how wonderful Layla was, how caring she was, and how she was wrong to treat her only living relative in that manner.

"She called me _cutie_  again," Warren muttered at Layla, glowering.

Zach chuckled, not bothering to muffle it this time. "She called you  _cutie_? Aww, aren't you such a  _cute widdle_  ... Hey, don't do that! We're inside!" he said in alarm when Warren's fist lit up.

"Shut up then."

Nodding quickly, Zach sighed in relief when the flame disappeared.

"I'll make it up to you later," Layla said, smiling at Warren.

"How are you going to make it up to him?" Ethan asked, frowning.

Warren thought of waking up with Layla in his arms, the kisses she gave him, her hand in his...

"It's a surprise," she replied, and there was a faint tinge on her cheeks, making him wonder if she'd had the same thoughts.

"Okay... Do you think your Great Aunt would get us drinks? Those cookies made me thirsty," Ethan muttered.

"I don't think she would. I'll get them though; are you all okay with lemonade?"

They agreed quickly, and when Layla was out of the room, Zach turned to Warren. "All right, hot head, 'fess up. What's going on with you and Layla?"

"What?" Ethan asked, frowning in confusion.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed those looks they've been giving each other  _all day_?" Zach muttered, shaking his head and looking back at Warren.

"No idea what you're talking about, glow worm," he replied, his voice even but his jaw clenched.

"Glow worm? What happened to glow stick?"

"I believe it was a way to degrade you," Ethan said. " **Is**  there something going on between you and Layla?" he asked, both of them watching Warren intently.

"No, nothing."

"Okay, so you won't mind if I ask her out then?" Zach asked, standing and brushing off his shirt.

"Sit. The.  _Fuck_. Down," Warren growled, his hands bursting into flames.

Zach just grinned and sat in his seat calmly. Moments later, Layla walked in, carrying four glasses, two held by vines. Setting them on the table, she frowned and looked between the three boys, who were all studying innocently.

"Why does the room smell like smoke?"

"I was proving a point," Zach replied, grinning brightly.

"Warren didn't agree," Ethan added in explanation, a grin twitching on his lips.

"Um,  _okay_ ," she said, obviously not believing them. "Maybe next time, open a window  _before_  you start a debate," Layla said, walking past them to open the window. "What were you talking about anyway?"

There was a moment of hesitation from all of them, and Warren rolled his eyes at the sidekicks' inability to think of a suitable lie.

"We were talking about superheroes. Zach thinks that Catwoman would beat Poison Ivy, and I think he's an idiot," he said, adjusting in his seat slightly when Layla sat next to him.

"Really? You think Catwoman would beat Poison Ivy? Oh, you poor misguided boy," Layla said, shaking her head.

"No, I'm not! Poison Ivy doesn't  _fight_ , all she does is conjure plants and vines, and Catwoman does all those flips and things and she has the whip," Zach protested, his hands demonstrating his argument.

"Catwoman's already beaten Poison Ivy in comic-verse," Ethan pointed out. "And without her plants, Poison Ivy doesn't have any weapons other than her lethal kiss and the fact that she herself is poisonous."

Warren could immediately see the similarities between Poison Ivy and Layla, and briefly wondered what she'd look like in a tight green outfit. He ignored Zach's smirk, as if he knew what he was thinking.

"You really think Poison Ivy would win a fight in some warehouse that doesn't have plants? She'd be vulnerable and close to human then," Ethan added.

Layla was silent for a moment, frowning. "That's like saying she's not smart enough to take seeds, paper, or even pieces of bark with her."

"Uh, what?" Zach asked, confused.

"They're all natural things that she can manipulate, even if the paper's processed. And even her costume would probably have something natural woven into it. She would never leave herself completely unprotected and vulnerable like that."

Ethan briefly wondered if she was still talking about Poison Ivy.

"How would she carry any of that? It's not like her costume really has a place to put bark and paper!" Zach said.

"I'm not sure," Layla admitted, drawing on her notebook as she thought about it. "Well, okay, she'd lose against Catwoman in that particular scenario, but if they were outside, Poison Ivy would win hands down. Catwoman would be surrounded before she could move."

"What about her claws? Those things are sharp; she'd be able to cut through any plants Poison Ivy created!"

"I don't think you've ever seen just how thick some vines are, Zach," she replied, laughing. "And a lot of vines have sharp thorns that would hurt Catwoman even more. She'd be trapped and poisoned within seconds."

There was a knock at the door, and Frieda stepped inside a moment later, smiling at them.

"Just wanted to see how you were all doing," she said, then looked to Layla. "Your Great Aunt would like to see you in the kitchen if you're free, dear?"

"Oh, I'll be right there," Layla said, closing her books and standing. "Zach, Ethan, this is Frieda Olgestein, one of my Great Aunt's friends," she introduced.

She rested her hand on Warren's shoulder, squeezing gently as a way to show him that she would be all right on her own. He nodded briefly, but watched as she left nonetheless.

"So, Mrs. Olgestein, do you think Warren and Layla would be a cute couple?" Zach asked in a conversational tone.

Warren's pen snapped in half, and if he wasn't in the presence of a non-super, he would have roasted the glow worm alive. He figured that's what Zach was counting on, and tried to think of a way to get Frieda to leave so he could exact his revenge on the pale boy.

"Oh, do you think so? He's such a cutie," - Zach snorted at this, and Warren clenched his jaw, promising himself to make his revenge painful and so  _very_  slow - "and Layla's such a lovely dear. They'd be wonderful together!"

"And their babies would just be the cutest things ever!" Zach added, grinning as he looked over at him with his damn eyes  _twinkling_.

"Excuse me," Warren muttered, leaving the room before he put his broken pen through his friend's twinkling eyes and set them alight.

Layla left the kitchen door open and stood on the side of the bench that was closest to the exit. If she needed to get out before doing something drastic, she wanted that getaway to be as close as possible.

"Mrs. Olgestein said you wanted to see me?" she asked with a brief smile.

Greta waited a moment, her eyes searching Layla's face for remorse, guilt, or a combination of the two. When she found neither, she sighed, and decided to get this over with before Frieda returned and tried to physically force her to say the words.

"It has been brought to my attention that you have not been extreme in your emotions nor completely unbearable to live with. You are still coping with your mother's death, and for that, I should have been more understanding towards your feelings and sensibilities," she ground out. "I was rash in contacting the boarding school, and you are welcome to stay here and continue to attend Sky High."

Layla's eyes widened briefly. Her Great Aunt's tone left something to be desired, but her words were unexpected, and she had to wonder exactly what sort of hold Frieda had over her.

"Thank you; I'll try to learn how to control my emotions better so I'm not unbearable to live with," Layla replied, trying to keep her voice pleasant.

Greta nodded in response, and taking that as her dismissal, Layla turned to leave.

"I know you poisoned me," Greta hissed, glaring at her back.

Layla's stride didn't falter, and she pretended that she didn't hear her Great Aunt's words. She frowned slightly on seeing Warren standing out in the hallway and made her way over to him.

"Is everything all right?" she asked, feeling the extreme body heat that he was exuding.

"They're ... they're in there ... and they're discussing how  _cute_ we'd be as a couple," Warren said, his teeth gritted.

"Did Mrs. Olgestein call you  _cutie_  again?" Layla asked sympathetically.

"That's not the point. They're talking about babies, and that's just so  _very_   **wrong.**  I mean, we're not even... and we've never..." he groaned in frustration, trying to keep his emotions under control before he did something stupid like set the house on fire.

Smiling at the obvious war of his emotions, Layla took his arm. Warren watched as she moved his wrist cuff and wrapped her hand around the vine mark beneath it. Slowly, his emotions began to settle, and as she closed her eyes, he saw them turn a bright green colour.

"Oh, hello, what are you two doing out here?" Frieda asked, her smile broad and knowing.

"Just talking, Mrs. Olgestein. My Great Aunt is still in the kitchen, if you'd like to talk with her," Layla said, opening her brown eyes and smiling at the older woman.

She let go of Warren's wrist discreetly, moving to step in front of him so he could replace his cuff.

"How did it go? Did she talk to you?"

"Yes, she apologised, and I've promised to try and control my emotions," Layla said.

"You didn't need to promise that, dear. You're as pleasant as a plum," Frieda said, waving her hand at her. "You two go back to studying, and I'll leave you to it."

"So, are you two coming back inside, or do you still need more time? We can think of baby names if you're that busy," Zach said, grinning at them.

"I've got a better idea. Think of disastrous ways for Will and Magenta to break up," Layla said with a wicked grin.

"Like him dropping her while making out in midair? Thought of that last week. Made me laugh for a good ten minutes," he said brightly.

"Oh, really?" Layla asked, grinning at him. "And I thought you were only cruel to Warren."

"The cruelness is unlimited and not specific to a single person," Zach replied with a laugh, going back into the room.

"I told you he was a permanent marker," she muttered to Warren.

"Yeah, I know. Ethan'll take longer though," he replied. Then he frowned and looked down at her. "Did you really promise your Great Aunt that you'd control your emotions?"

"Yes. I figured Frieda would say something like that, and I know she's probably in there grilling her for information now. I didn't want to lie to her and be caught out."

"Sneaky, hippie, very sneaky."

"No, it's more self preservation than anything else. If my Great Aunt thinks I'm lying, she'll pack me away to boarding school before I can claim innocence."

"I wouldn't let that happen," Warren muttered, squeezing her hand gently.

"Neither would I," Layla replied with a brief smile. "Come on, let's go study. I want to get it over with and keep arguing Poison Ivy's case."

He chuckled and followed her into the dining room, his fingertips lingering on her skin.

...

"Remind me why we're here, hippie? Especially during the day?" Warren asked in a hiss, even as he stepped over the fence to follow her towards the house on Sycamore Street. "It's a weekday, and my mum knows I'm not working. If I get into trouble because of you, I'll ..."

"You'll  _what_?" Layla asked, turning to look at him with an intrigued grin. When he didn't answer, she smirked knowingly. "I promise it'll be worth it. Come on, through here."

With a heavy sigh, Warren just gave into his earthly temptation in the form of a luscious redhead, and walked up to join her on the creaky porch.

"You have to stay close to me. I can only keep a small area solid," Layla said, looking down at the patch beneath her feet.

Following her gaze, Warren saw the brown rotting wood a few boards away, yet the ones beneath them had a healthier sheen to them and seemed far more solid than the others.

"You're not going to exhaust yourself and put us through the floor, are you?"

"It might be easier if you were closer," Layla replied.

He moved quickly, taking the three steps until he was almost pressed flush against her body.

"Better?" Warren asked, his voice low and hot against her skin.

She made a noise of agreement - although it was probably more a whimper of pleasure than anything else - and tried to remember how to breathe. Before she could figure out that trick, Warren's lips were on hers, his kiss burning and his tongue hot as he traced her lips. As Layla kissed him back she could feel her power growing within her body, the vines beneath her skin rippling in anticipation. When he went to touch her, Warren made himself pull away, watching her as his chest heaved and he licked his lips to taste her sweetness.

"Definitely worth it," he said, grinning.

Layla grinned back at him, despite knowing that she probably looked like a lovesick fool.

"Hippie? That wasn't there when we came in, was it?" Warren asked with a slight frown, looking at the small jungle that the front yard had become.

A car drove past, its headlights muted through the thick grass.

"It might be a good idea to leave it up. Come on, let's hurry before it gets too late," she said, taking his hand and leading him inside.

"You still haven't told me what we're doing here," he muttered.

"We're going to practice," Layla replied simply.

"Here, now? Why?"

"You promised to practice with me to see if we could combine our powers for Save the Citizen."

"Well, yeah, but I thought you meant  _during_  Save the Citizen! Not on someone else's property, not when we have the opportunity to fuck things up really bad!"

"If you're scared about being on someone else's property, then I guess we'd better go," she mocked.

"I never said I was scared, hippie," he retorted, glowering.

"Then prove it. One fire and plant combination, and we'll go. It'll be fine. Besides, this place will be knocked down when we make the secret sanctum here," Layla added with a grin.

"You think all of this rotting wood will be safe if I create a fire on top of it? If I make the fire and I'm concentrating on combining it with one of your plants then it's highly possible for this place to go up in flames, no matter if I'm inside or not."

"Okay. Wait here, I'll be right back," Layla said, stepping away from him.

Glancing down nervously, Warren was relieved to see that the floorboards didn't return to their normal rotting state beneath his feet. Layla didn't look as assured, and ran out of the house as fast as she could. As her distance increased, the floorboards began to creak and Warren's relief quickly faded. Layla returned in moments, the floor becoming solid once more.

"Don't do that again," he muttered, then frowned at the large rectangle in her hands. "What's that, and how's it meant to help?"

"The Stronghold Realty sign. It's one of their old metal ones, which should protect the wooden house from your fire... So long as you can keep it limited to this area," she added, placing the sign on the floor.

"Should be easy enough," he mused.

"All right," Layla said, looking at the metal sign with a small frown. Now that they were here, she found that she didn't exactly have a plan of how to attempt this thing.

"How about you make a plant in the middle, and I'll try to make a circle of flames around it?" Warren suggested, seeing that she was at a loss.

"Good idea," she agreed, quickly digging into her pocket and placing the retrieved seed down on the sign.

With a thought and short burst of power, the seed grew quickly, and soon a small shrub sat before them. Warren clicked a flame to life, flicking it towards the sign. The plant immediately burst into flame, and Layla hurried to change it to a seed before the fire could damage it permanently.

"Sorry, let's try again," he muttered, extinguishing the flames.

Nodding, Layla grew the shrub once more. Taking more care this time, Warren let the flame fall and land on the sign, his hands sculpting the circle in sync with his thoughts and brief burst of power. It worked for a moment, and they grinned at each other, but with that emotion, their concentration slipped, and the shrub caught on fire once more. Layla quickly returned it to a seed while Warren stopped the fire.

They both went still when they heard a car pull up outside. Putting her hand up to indicate for Warren to stay where he was, Layla hurried to the front area, the dirty glass and long grass obscuring her view. A brief thought had the grass swaying gently, and she paled slightly when she realised she recognised the car.

Hurrying back to the room, Layla didn't say anything, she simply grabbed the sign off the floor. Wiping off the soot from the fire, she quietly crept to the front door, throwing the sign on the grass, dirt and leaves covering it silently at her command. Closing and locking the door behind her, Layla made her way back to Warren, taking his hand and leading him to the back door. It was locked, but there was a hole to the side that was big enough for them to step through after a small power-fuelled adjustment.

Hearing the front door open, but no footsteps sounding, Layla figured it had to be Mrs. Stronghold. Warren was silent as they crouched past windows to get to the front once more, both keeping an eye and ear out for the flying superhero as they stepped over the picket fence silently.

Luck - and the public transport system - was on their side, and the bus to Layla's Great Aunt's house arrived on time, unsuspectingly taking them away from the scene of their crime.

"That was close," Layla breathed, but she was grinning rather than sounding remorseful or worried.

Warren grinned back at her, his adrenaline still coursing through him, and he put his arm around her shoulders. Layla rested against him, listening to the sound of his heart beating in time with her own.

...

Josie parked her car on the kerb, frowning slightly as she looked up at the old wooden structure beside her. The fence had been kicked in and vandalised in places, and the garden was so overgrown that it almost blocked the entire view of the house.

"I was sure I asked Steve to organise the gardener," she muttered to herself, getting out of the car and locking it behind her.

She checked her reflection quickly, discreetly ensuring that she had her glasses on and her secret identity was safe. With that done, Josie continued muttering about Steve's incompetence as she opened the no-longer-white picket gate, the hinges protesting with a loud squeak, and made her way down the small path to the rotting house.

"Ask for  _one_  simple thing... Should know better than to ask him, the man can't even organise dinner when I'm in Rome with the Ambassador!"

Josie stepped up onto the porch carefully, looking around her to ensure she was alone. When she was certain that she was, Josie floated up into the air slightly. The house really was rotted through and a hazard, but the Mayor refused to tear it down without concrete proof of this fact. Without her feet touching the floorboards, she was at less of a risk to make the whole thing come crumbling down around her.

 _ **That**_ _would be enough proof for you, wouldn't it Mr. Mayor_? she thought, rolling her eyes. Okay, she might have been harbouring a few bad feelings over his comment about her dinner the other night.  _It had been a brilliant pasta dish, she was sure of it! The Mayor just didn't know good food when he ate it_!

Opening the front door, Josie made her way through the house, snapping photos of the rotting floors, hole-ridden doors, and vandalised walls. The whole house smelled of smoke, and she kept one hand covering her nose and mouth to filter the putrid smell. Staying outside by the door, she only took one photo of the bathroom, the smell permeating from inside making her feel ill. Josie refused to look at the photo until she'd left. If it was bad enough, she might make it the first picture the Mayor would see.

Leaving the house, Josie landed on the ground gently, shielding her eyes from a bright reflection. Thinking it to be her car, she soon realised that it was too close to be that, and scanned her surroundings to find the source. Seeing a large piece of metal nearby, she lifted it gingerly, only to find that it was the Stronghold Real Estate sign for the house. It did have Steve's number, and as it was metal, it must have been years old.  _Why, they hadn't used metal signs since Will was in junior high_! Lifting the sign carefully, Josie dusted off the dirt and leaves that had gathered. She stopped what she was doing, frowning suddenly.

"If this has been here long enough to get all of this dirt on it, then how did that person know to ring Steve?" she muttered, looking at her blackened hand.

Remembering how windy it had been a few nights ago when a summer storm hit Maxville ( _really, with all of the weather-powered supers out there, you think they'd be able to control something as simple as a storm_ ), Josie put it down to nature, and thought no more of it. The wind had been enough to topple Will's old swing set in their backyard, so a simple sign would have been no trouble at all.

Humming to herself, she propped the sign against the fence and put a sticker across the front reading "under contract". With that all done, Josie brushed off her hands and drove home, certain that she and Steve would win the Realtor Sales Award this year.

...

End of the fifteenth chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

Sitting at the back of the bus, Layla sketched in her notebook, adding more designs to the secret sanctum as she thought of them. Warren hadn't seemed too pleased at the addition of a dressing room, but she thought it necessary in order to house their outfits and any other disguises that they might wear.

 _It wasn't even that big of a room_ , Layla thought to herself, looking at the small rectangular room.  _Although, maybe he was more upset about the clothes dispenser that circulated the pieces of clothing at the touch of a button_.

When she couldn't think of anything else to add in, Layla flipped the page to where she'd drawn a rough sketch of an outfit the day before. Despite what she'd told Zach and Ethan, she knew exactly where to carry seeds or even bits of paper: in the hemline of the outfit. If it was natural, as she presumed it would be, then it would be all too easy to open the hem and get the seeds out. It could even be useful if she was kidnapped, a trail of seeds leading her rescuer to wherever she'd been taken. Well, that is if she allowed herself to be kidnapped, or was taken by surprise.

Layla briefly wondered how Warren had been kidnapped by his father. She could imagine him as a young child, trusting his father, as naive and foolish as she'd been. _He would have been scared at first, and then angry. So angry at his father, at himself, maybe even his mother. The anger would have consumed him until it burned as bright as his arms, and all of that anger and flames had to go somewhere, burning a hole through the wall for him to escape while his father was preoccupied elsewhere_.

"Hey, hippie. What are you thinking about?" Warren asked with a slight frown as he sat beside her.

She was staring off into space and didn't even seem to register that the bus had stopped, let alone that he'd sat next to her.

"Hippie?" he repeated, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh, hi Warren," Layla said quickly, giving him an apologetic grin. "Sorry, spaced for a moment. Did you say something?"

"Could see that. I asked what you were thinking about."

"Oh no," Layla whispered, her face paling and the two syllables were filled with so much distraught that Warren looked to see what she'd seen.

 _Well, fuck. The house on Sycamore Street was under contract_.

In her hands, her entire notebook began to wilt, the pages curling and shrinking.

"Not this too," she whispered, the words swallowed by the sound of the bus squealing to a stop for the final passenger.

"Hey, hippie, look at me. Layla," Warren said, moving her face gently so that she was looking at him.

The blank expression in her green eyes concerned him, and he wasn't surprised to realise that vines were starting to circle his feet while the rest of the students sat by obliviously.

"It's just one house; there are more in Maxville, including others that aren't on the same street as a bus full of supers. Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked, his voice a rough whisper.

She nodded briefly, but the vines still continued to circle his feet.

"I really had my heart set on that one, Warren. It just feels like everyone and everything I want, need, or love is leaving me... Which I know sounds stupid, it's just a house, but..." her words stopped with a choked sob.

"It doesn't sound stupid, hippie. And for the record, I'm not going anywhere," he added. "Well, not until we get to Sky High; I have no desire to repeat my sophomore year. Especially if I have to be in the same class as Stronghold. How you haven't beaten him to a pulp yet is beyond me," Warren said, grinning.

His words had the desired effect, and Layla laughed softly, wiping at her eyes. The vines disappeared a moment later, and then she yelped in surprise when the bus drove off the freeway. Beside her, Warren had his jaw clenched, the sudden drop surprising him as well.

"That burst of adrenaline should replace my need for coffee until lunch," he said in her ear.

She simply nodded in response, her eyes screwed shut tightly.

...

"Hey, Ethan, do you have that book with the people who want to go against us in Save the Citizen?" Layla asked at lunch.

"Yeah, it's right here. I've taken to carrying it around with me, since more people are asking about it," he replied with a grin. Ethan handed the book over to her, grinning slightly.

"You're loving the attention, aren't you, Popsicle?" Warren asked, smirking.

"Well, I wouldn't..."

"Yeah, he totally is," Zach said, clapping him on the back with a grin.

Shaking her head at them, Layla opened the book, looking at the list.

"How good are you feeling today, Warren?" she asked, frowning briefly.

"No better or worse than usual," he replied with a frown of his own, reading over her shoulder.

Ethan's sorting and organising skills had classified the pairings in skill level, ranging from  _more than easy_  up to  _so hard you'll need private health insurance before fighting them_ , under which only one pair was classed. Layla glanced at the others, deciding that starting with an  _easy peasy pair_  and going onto a  _challenging_  pair would probably be best for now.

"I don't know if these are better or worse than the hero and sidekick labels," Layla muttered.

"Who on earth are Grant and Jewel?" Warren asked, seeing the pair under the health-insurance-hard label.

"Jewel is the brunette over there," Ethan said, indicating to a girl sitting by the window. "She has the ability to change anything she touches into a jewel. Apparently, it's a very painful process for humans."

"Doesn't sound too hard to beat; we just won't let her touch us," Warren commented.

"Just keep watching her for a moment, you'll see."

They did, and Layla was the first to spot the shining reflection of her skin.

"She's a jewel?" she asked in confusion.

"Her skin has the same properties as a diamond, actually," Ethan corrected. "That includes the ability to retain extreme heat and cut through anything. Your fireballs would be useless, and your vines couldn't possibly hold her," he said, looking at Warren and Layla respectively.

"All right, what about Grant?"

"Grant is the blonde there," Ethan said, indicating to a boy a few tables away.

While Grant wasn't alone at the table, the people he was seated with seemed to be giving him a wide berth.

"He has the ability to repel  _everything_  and seems to be immune to powers. The Mad Scientist is still running some tests, apparently, but Grant is one of the people who could go against the Commander and win. He could repel a punch and the Commander would be the one to crumble," Ethan said in a hushed and awed tone.

"I want him on my side when the world falls," Zach muttered. "What?" he added when Ethan looked at him oddly.

"So how do you figure that Grant's  _health insurance bad_?" Layla asked, redirecting the conversation and hiding her smile at Zach's words. She'd been thinking the same thing about both super teens.

"Well, he'd repel anything either of you could throw at him, and even if you did manage to do something, he'd be immune to it. He's never been sick in his life."

"So his is cell-deep, not skin-deep like Jewel's," Warren said with a nod. "Who are his parents?"

"Well, that's the thing. His mother is completely human, and no one knows who his father is. There's been speculation that his father is the Incredible Genius," Ethan said in a whisper.

"Just who has been speculating this?" Layla asked in amusement.

"Well, mostly me, but I have a good reason for it," he replied quickly.

He took the book from Layla, flipping to the back where the small document pocket was located. He unfolded a few pieces of paper and placed them on the table. Ethan looked from the photographs of the Incredible Genius to Grant.

"He looks remarkably similar to him, and while it's not 100 per cent proof, there's also this," he added, unfolding another piece of paper, this one a photocopy of a newspaper clipping.

" _Michael Marking the youngest graduate from the University of Maxville, age 15, majored in genetic engineering and has a bright future ahead_ ," Layla read quietly. "Yeah, that's all good and well, but Grant's at least 17 years old. The Incredible Genius was captured almost 20 years ago. No amount of genetics could keep a woman pregnant for three years before giving birth."

"Grant's a senior, and since he was born early in the year, he's actually closer to 19 years old," Ethan replied. "The Incredible Genius was captured 18 years and 7 months ago."

They went silent, looking from the pictures to Grant.

"You did all of this just for Save the Citizen?" Warren asked, frowning at Ethan briefly.

He faltered, not having thought of it that way. "I did it so you'd understand your opponents better. I didn't really think of itas something for Save the Citizen," he admitted with a slight grin.

"I'm not knocking it, Popsicle. It's great you put all this work into it. Thanks," Warren added, chuckling when Ethan darkened.

"So, how many people have asked? Do you reckon this is the entire school?" Layla asked.

"Oh, definitely not. I've only been asked by 30 people approximately, and the school has about 120 students if I go by the average of 30 people per year. Besides, the small amount of information I've written in there for each person isn't detailed. If you compare it with the school records of students, then that book's almost worthless. I've only given you their name and superpower," he said, shaking his head.

Zach frowned slightly, seeing the look that passed between Warren and Layla. He wasn't entirely sure what the look meant, but he was beginning to suspect that it didn't mean something good for the rest of the student population.

"It's definitely not worthless, Ethan. You've done an awesome job, and this will be so useful... Oh, I think I know who we should go against," Layla added, indicating the two pairs to Warren.

"Who?" Zach asked, grinning.

"Wait and see," Warren replied.

The bell rang loudly, and Ethan hurried to put the pieces of paper back in his book, stuffing the notebook into his bag.

"You're really not going to tell us?" Zach asked in disappointment.

"Patience is a virtue, Zach," Layla replied over her shoulder, grinning.

"See you at the gym," Ethan called.

"What's the point of being best friends with the reigning champions of Save the Citizen if they don't tell you who they're going to fight?" Zach muttered, leaving with Ethan.

"Really? Warren's your best friend?"

"Well, there's Layla and you, of course... Don't tell Warren," he added quickly.

"Wouldn't dream of it. He'd probably evaporate me," Ethan replied with a chuckle. "Come on, I want to get a good seat so I can record the fight."

With a nod, Zach hurried with him through the corridors.

...

"So, any strategies for the first pair, hippie?" Warren asked when they were dressed and in their protective gear.

Layla pretended to think about it for a moment. "Well, I'm still extremely upset about the house on Sycamore, so I say we wipe the floor with them and let the Citizen get destroyed," she replied brightly.

"Lucky we're going with the harder ones first then," he replied, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Catwoman beating Poison Ivy, yeah right," Layla scoffed.

"So I'm stuck with the human hose? _Great_ ," Warren muttered.

"Do you want someone else? I thought he'd be easy for you; just heat him up until he's nothing but boiling water."

"Boiling water is still water, hippie," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'll do it, but if I call for help, you put the cat down and help me, understood?"

"If you call for help, I'll throw the cat at him. Cats hate water more than you," she said, grinning.

"All right, you two. Heroes or villains, and who do you pick?"

"Villains," Layla said sweetly. "And I pick Kate," she said, indicating to the feline-looking girl.

"Paul," Warren said, gesturing at him.

"Come on, Catwoman!" Zach called loudly, a few people laughing at his enthusiasm, or Kate's new nickname.

Kate glared at Zach, and he hurried to sit down again, but still grinned nonetheless.

"I bet Catwoman's going to kick Poison Ivy's butt," Zach said to Ethan, chuckling.

"I'll take you on that bet," he replied, stunning his friend for a moment.

"You're going to bet on Layla against Catwoman? Dude, it's like I don't even know you anymore."

"Oh, shut up and accept the bet already," Ethan replied, rolling his eyes.

"I don't exactly have any cash on me. What else can we bet for?"

"How about a dare?" he suggested.

"You're on! If Catwoman wins against Layla, you have to streak completely _naked_  down the school corridor," Zach said, laughing.

Ethan paled slightly, but he shook his hand anyway, figuring that if he did lose, he'd be able to streak while melted down.

"All right, and if Layla wins, then you ... Oh, no," Ethan said quickly, realising that the buzzer was about to sound and he didn't have the camera ready.

Warren adjusted his gloves as a ruse to cover his left wrist properly, glancing over to Layla, who had an assortment of green bracelets over her left wrist. She saw where he was looking and grinned briefly. The buzzer sounded loudly, pulling both of them out of their thoughts, and Warren and Layla moved forward to their opponents.

Kate ran forward, sharp nails growing, her hands changing shape as her body squeezed and stretched in the same motion. In a burst of clothing, the girl turned into a cat. Unfortunately, she wasn't a small domestic cat as most would have presumed. Instead, she was a lion.

"Oh man, you had better get ready to strip," Zach crowed, clapping Ethan on the back.

Layla came to a sudden stop, staring at the large lioness before her.

"We're swapping, hippie. No arguments."

"We're not going to swap, Warren. I can handle her. Deal with Paul before he puts you out," she muttered.

He saw the stubborn set of her jaw, and with a growl, turned on Paul, his arms flaming. Warren didn't even give the boy time to power up or react before he threw fireball after fireball at him, the flames surrounding him in a circle that grew higher with each passing second. Paul tried to get his power flowing to put out the fire, but it seemed to be resistant to anything he could produce.

Kate advanced on Layla, a predator's gleam in her eyes as she snarled softly. Gathering herself to pounce, she did so, a large paw swiping out at the redhead. Kate growled when she realised that she was stuck in midair, something tight around her waist. Her growl turned into mewls when the tight feeling became painful, hundreds of thorns piercing her body. Kate tried to use her sharp claws to break through the vines, but every movement made the thorns dig in deeper, and she couldn't move her limbs the proper way to reach the base of the vine anyway.

" _Yes_! I hope you weren't getting too excited about seeing me naked, Zach," Ethan said with a laugh.

Layla watched for a moment as the vine twirled around Kate, covering her from head to toe in mid-pounce. When she was completely contained, Layla turned to see Warren facing off Paul. The latter boy seemed to be surrounded, crouched on the ground as the heat of the flames intensified and made him weaker in turn.

"You want to deal with the Citizen?" Layla asked, moving towards him.

"I think we should both do it," Warren replied, looking at her.

"Not in front of them. Let's save that one for later," she said with a slight smirk. "But if you destroy the rope, I'll make sure the citizen will never speak again."

With a nod, Warren turned and threw a ball of fire straight at the citizen. It tore through the rope immediately, the loose ends curling and blackening. Coach Boomer called out a warning to Warren when the fireball hit his clipboard. Everyone ignored him, and Layla used a vine to feed the citizen into the teeth headfirst. A moment of silence surrounded them at the deliberate act, but then Boomer called out that they were the winners, Nurse Spex made her way into the arena, and noise returned to the gym once more.

"Maybe we should be heroes this time around," Warren muttered, scanning the crowd of faces and whispers that were being directed at them.

"Yeah, you're right. Looks like we'll have to be heroes until this blows over. But I really hate that citizen," Layla muttered.

"At least it's not a real one."

"I have a feeling that a real citizen would be more annoying," she said, rolling her eyes.

Warren conceded with a nod, and they turned to challenge their next opponents.

...

Layla adjusted her skirt quickly while no one was watching, smoothing out the material as she glanced at her surroundings. It was her first day working at the Mayor's office, she still didn't have much idea what to do, there were superheroes surrounding her on all sides, and the complete lack of real plant life was actually making her feel nauseated. Three fake plants were all that the building's foyer contained, and no other plant life - real or fake - existed in the entire building. The vine beneath her skin rippled, as if to reassure her that it, at least, was alive. She sighed softly in relief, and made her way over to Ms. Peace, who was to be her supervisor during Layla's three month probation period.

"Okay, I've got an induction checklist here, so we'll go over your duties, make sure you have a swipe card and access codes to the building, and then we'll get you familiarised with the layout of the place."

"Okay, great," Layla replied, trying to ease her nerves.

"Now, your basic duties are photocopying files, filing documents away, basic office duties, and such. When required, you will also need to do some data entry work," Ms. Peace said. "Oh, you've also been nominated for the lunch and coffee run."

"Lunch and coffee run?"

"You take everyone's lunch and coffee orders, and you buy them, bring them back and distribute. It's a cinch," she replied with a smile.

"Okay. How am I meant to do the lunch run if I'm at school?" Layla asked hesitantly.

"Sorry, I meant on weekends and during election time. Although, that may be more a dinner run, depending on how late everyone stays here. It's a busy time, and everyone's expected to pull their weight."

Layla nodded, following Ms. Peace to the photocopying room.

"If this thing breaks, then you'll want to call Stephanie. She's a step short of being a technopath, but she can fix nearly anyelectronic item there is."

"Unless there's a problem with the software, or a virus. I'm not a geek, and I can't do that," a woman added, stepping into the room. "Hi, I'm Stephanie. You must be the new coffee girl," she stated, looking Layla over and continuing without giving her a chance to introduce herself. "Make sure you get the orders right, or else you'll meet the same fate as the last one," Stephanie drawled as she swiped her card against the printer.

It beeped and began printing her job. There was silence for a long moment, and Ms. Peace raised her eyebrows slightly at Layla, attempting a grin. She smiled back hesitantly, stepping out of Stephanie's way when she grabbed her printed documents and left the room without a word.

"What exactly happened to the last coffee person?" Layla asked quietly.

"He got Stephanie decaf two days in a row, and was fired by the third. She's one of the Mayor's favourites, so just make sure to get her coffee order right," she replied, shaking her head. "Anyway, when you get your card, you'll be able to log on to the printer. For now, I'll show you how to print using mine."

It was fairly simple, and the instructions were laminated on the wall above the printer itself, so Layla could consult those if she forgot anything. Ms. Peace took her down to the HR department to get her photo taken and access card. Layla didn't like her photo, but on seeing some of her new colleagues' photos, she figured she'd been lucky. Ms. Peace continued through the tour, introducing Layla to everyone in such a whirl that she doubted she'd remember their names in an hour's time. The filing system, if it could be called that, was nothing short of a mess, with twenty people using their own methods of filing to put documents away. It was somewhat of a miracle that anything was ever found. Layla's first job would be to sort, organise, and refile every single document within the three-drawer cabinet that had been nicknamed  _The Monster_.

"And, last but not least, this is Jorge. He's the Mayor's personal assistant. If you ever need to speak to the Mayor, just ask Jorge, and he'll set everything up."

Layla shook his hand, smiling politely. Jorge didn't seem too enthused about her presence, but by the grey hairs that were framing his otherwise young face, and the thinning of his hair on top, she doubted that he was enthused about much regarding his job.

"He used to have a full head of hair when he started," Ms. Peace muttered as she led Layla away.

"What's his superpower?" she asked.

"He's a cat, which could explain the whole shedding thing, but he's supposed to be really organised. We've yet to see proof of that, and most of the girls are betting he only got the job because he's a relative of the Mayor's. Don't repeat that," she addedquickly.

"I won't," Layla promised.

Ms. Peace nodded, smiling as she guided Layla back to  _The Monster_. "Your shift finishes at 8pm, so you might want to get started on this. I'll come back in half an hour to see how you're going, and then we can have a break, okay?"

"Okay, thank you."

The door shut with a sound of finality that Layla decided she didn't like. Sighing, she turned to look at the large black filingcabinet, pulling open the first drawer. Papers were stuffed in files every which way, others were stuck between files, and by the smell that escaped the open drawer, Layla was fairly sure that someone had hidden their lunch inside it.

"This could take a while," she muttered to herself, looking around to find a clear space to sort everything.

The table was covered in papers that hadn't even been attempted to be filed, and with a quick glance out into the office area, Layla turned the table into a small tree with separate flat branches to place the paperwork on. Taking off the messy paperwork, Layla began to sort them into piles alphabetically.

Ms. Peace knocked on the door gently, opening the door and looking inside. She'd been caught up with her work, and it had almost been an hour since she'd left Layla with  _The Monster_. She wasn't entirely sure what she was expecting, maybe some tears or her slacking off as one of the previous apprentices had done when left alone, but she was surprised to see that Layla was working hard. A flat-branched tree was before her, papers on each branch, a small vine keeping the papers in place from the ceiling fan spinning above. She wondered how long Layla had kept the tree up;  _surely she must be exhausted_?

"Layla? Are you ready for a tea break?"

At Ms. Peace's voice, Layla turned around, placing the bundle in her hands on the desk chair as she nodded.

"Are you all right?" she asked as she led Layla to the break room.

"A little tired, but I'll be fine. Where is everyone?" she asked, seeing the empty desks and offices around them.

"They've all gone home. Most shifts finishbetween 4 and 5pm, so there's not many people here after that time. Your shift finishes at 8pm so you can catch up with work, and get things ready for everyone by the next day. When you're more comfortable in the role, you'll get a lot of printing and photocopying requests that others don't have time to do during the day."

"Okay, that's a good enough reason," Layla said with a brief smile.

"The tree that you've got in the room with _The Monster_ , will it be all right without any fresh air or sunlight?" Ms. Peace asked as they sat down.

"It's a bit of a strain, but since I made it out of the wooden desk that was there, it'll be fine."

"How are you going with the filing?"

"Getting there. I've almost finished sorting the first drawer. I don't think there was much of a filing system before this; I found paperwork for KPGM, the television station, in the C file."

Ms. Peace frowned slightly, trying to think of anything that would connect the two. "No idea how they got that," she muttered, shaking her head. "I've found a tray for you, if you want to put that in the room so no one accidentally ruins your work."

"That'd be nice, thank you," Layla replied, taking a drink of water.

When their fifteen minute break finished, they both returned to the office area, Layla going into the filing room, and Ms. Peace returning to her desk. Rolling her shoulders slightly, Layla picked up the bundle once more and continued sorting the documents.

By the time 8pm chimed and Ms. Peace knocked on the door again, Layla had finished sorting the first drawer and was a quarter of the way through the second. The tree looked smaller than before, but she was more surprised at Layla's stamina to keep it up for so long.  _All of the games of Save the Citizen must have helped her_ , she mused.

"Are you ready to go now, Layla?" she asked with a smile.

Layla nodded, replacing the bundle in the filing cabinet. Slowly, the tree began to shrink, and she moved each pile of documents onto the chair in a neat stack, crossing them over so they wouldn't get mixed up.

"Here's your tray. Why don't we put it on a table or chair outside the room, and lock the door so no one messes up your work?" she offered.

Placing the last pile on the chair, Layla picked them up and placed them on the desk, carrying the chair outside. Writing a quick note to leave all filing in the tray, Layla thanked Ms. Peace and headed down the corridor to leave with her.

"After your probation period is over, you'll be here on your own, and you'll get the alarm codes to lock up," Ms. Peace said, punching the numbers into the pad and locking the door as they left the building.

"Hey, hippie," Warren said, stepping out of the shadows.

"Warren! You scared the hell out of me. I thought I said for you to wait by the car?" his mother asked, holding her hand over her heart to try and calm its erratic pace.

"I did, but it must have looked like I was trying to steal it, because someone called the police, and they've driven by twice already," he replied. "Ah, here they are again. Should I wave?" Warren asked sarcastically as the police car drove past yet again.

"Don't be a smart alec," Ms. Peace said, glaring at him.

"Sorry, I'd better get going. My bus will be here soon," Layla said, interrupting them.

"All right. See you later, Mum," Warren said, turning to leave with Layla.

"You're coming with me?" she asked, frowning.

"Yes, it was his idea, and I'm not letting you go home alone at this time of night either," Ms. Peace said behind them. "Now, go before you miss your bus."

If she wasn't already running late, Layla would have protested. She simply nodded, thanked Ms. Peace again, and hurried out of the parking lot with Warren beside her.

"You didn't have to do this, Warren."

"I know that. It's a Monday deal only, since I'm working the rest of the week. But, if you like, you can come to the  _Paper Lantern_  after work, and I can take you home from there."

"Was it really your idea, or did your mother put you up to this?"

"It was my idea, hippie. You look like you could barely make a flower bloom at the moment," Warren added, not letting her protest.

"Well, I made a tree to help sort out the files in  _The Monster_ , so I did exert myself," Layla admitted. "Thank you, Warren," she added, smiling at him.

"No problem, hippie. Come on, the bus is almost here," he said, headlights from the bus shining behind them as if on cue.

Hailing the bus, they ran to the stop. When they were seated, Layla realised how exhausted she felt, and with a sigh, she leant against Warren's shoulder, smiling and her eyes closing as his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

...

End of the sixteenth chapter.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hippie? Time to wake up. Come on, we're almost there," Warren murmured in her ear.

Layla mumbled something in return, trying to turn over. She frowned when she realised that she wasn't in bed like she'd thought, and opened her eyes to realise Warren was carrying her. Actually bride-across-the-threshold  **carrying**  her.

"Are you okay to stand now?" he asked, his hold on her easing so she could stand on her feet.

They stood close to each other, her hands resting on his arms and Warren's hands resting on her hips to help her keep upright.

"Yeah, thanks. Sorry, what happened?" Layla asked, still feeling out of sorts.

"You fell asleep on the bus and I couldn't wake you. The driver was a prick and wouldn't wait until I could get you up, so I had to carry you. You really exhausted yourself with that tree, didn't you, hippie?"

"Sorry," she said, feeling guilty. "I know I'm not the lightest person to carry around."

"It's fine. And you weren't that heavy; who said you were heavy to carry around?" he asked, realising the answer the moment he'd asked the question. "Stronghold? The jerk with  _super strength_? Oh, I'm going to beat him to a bloody pulp tomorrow."

"Don't do that," Layla said, shaking her head. "Not yet, at least."

Warren looked at her in surprise, wondering what she meant.

"You know the essay on the villain article we had to write for English? Ethan and Zach have a similar one about villain's sidekicks. I want to see the results of the assignments."

"But no one gets their essay back; Principal Powers keeps them in her office, and everyone just gets a written result by their teacher," Warren replied, frowning briefly.

"Exactly. I want to create a diversion to get the files out of her office."

"And you want me to beat Stronghold to a pulp as that diversion?" he asked, his expression turning into a broad grin. "I'm in."

Layla grinned brightly in response, her cheeks brightening when she realised just how close they were standing. Warren came to the same realisation a moment later, his hands caressing her hips gently. Not giving herself time to think or doubt her next actions, she kissed Warren eagerly, her arms around his shoulders. He kissed her hotly, his hands immediately tightening on her hips, pulling her closer. Warren lifted her slightly so they didn't have to crane their necks, and she pulled away after a moment, her eyes bright.

"This way," she murmured, her feet on the ground in a second, and she led him to the side of her Great Aunt's house.

Warren frowned briefly, but then Layla was kissing him again, her hands on his shoulders as he lifted her once more. Leaning against the side of the house, Warren could hold her easier, his lips burning against hers, and his hands scorching on her hips. There was a ripple beneath her skin, a secret on her lips, and vines circled their feet. Opening his eyes briefly, he saw Layla watching him, her eyes green and bright. She bit at his bottom lip, her tongue flicking against his. She closed her eyes and he followed suit.

A ringing sound made them pull away, and Layla took her phone out to see that her Great Aunt was calling.

"Come on, I'd better get inside," she murmured, kissing him once more before taking his hand and leading him to the porch.

Layla rang the doorbell when she realised that the door was locked and chained. The door opened almost immediately, her Great Aunt glaring at them.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

"I started my job today, and my shift finished at 8pm. Warren walked me home to make sure I'd be safe," Layla replied calmly.

"I can see that," Greta said sarcastically, seeing that his lip was swollen, but she doubted it was to keep Layla 'safe'.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Warren. Thank you for walking me home," she said, kissing his cheek.

He nodded briefly, then looked to her Great Aunt. "Good night, ma'am," Warren said, leaving before he lost control of the fire building inside of his body.

The door slammed behind him, and Warren growled softly when he heard Greta yelling at Layla. Deciding that he couldn't leave just yet, he headed to the side of the house where he and Layla had just made out. It was the same side that she'd made a tree to get into her room. Creating a small ball of fire, Warren used the heat from it to push himself into the air. It wasn't as stable as Will's flight, or a jet pack, but closer to an explosion lifting and catapulting someone into the air. The hot gust of wind and flames pushed him high enough so that he could grab hold of the protruding roof and pull himself up onto the tiles. Below him, the fire died and disappeared entirely.

"I'm going to bed now, unless you have a problem with  _ **that**_  too!" Layla called, closing her bedroom door, a vine wrapping around the handle.

Her entire body was shaking in rage and other emotions, and she barely kept control of the vines beneath her skin. They whispered in her mind, telling her that it wouldn't take long to push her Great Aunt down the stairs. Her bedroom window opened, but before she had time to do anything, Warren was in her room, his arms wrapping around her body. At his contact, the vines quietened down almost immediately, her body thrumming with a very different emotion.

"Are you okay?" Warren whispered in her ear, pulling back to look at her intently.

Layla nodded briefly, sighing as she moved closer into his embrace. "Stay with me?" she asked quietly.

"Of course. Just let me text Mum so she doesn't freak out again," he muttered.

When she nodded in response, Warren pulled out his phone, flipping it open to do as he'd said. Texting with one arm wrapped around Layla's body was a feat in itself, but he managed to do so, and turned it to silent so his mother's reply wouldn't give them away. He held back a groan of embarrassment when he saw that she'd told him to be safe and use a condom. Slipping his phone into his pocket again, he wrapped his arms around Layla properly.

"Come on, hippie. Let's get you to bed," Warren murmured in her ear.

She pulled away and nodded, leading him to her bed. As they'd done at his home, Layla stripped down to a singlet and underwear, getting beneath her sheet, while Warren stayed in his briefs, moving to sleep on top of the sheet beside her. Layla faced him when she felt the mattress dip, snuggling up against his chest. Warren pressed a kiss to her forehead, wrapping his arm around herbody as they drifted off to sleep.

...

Waking up in Warren's arms, Layla smiled against his shoulder, snuggling her body against his.

"You'd better stop that, hippie, or we won't be going to school," Warren chuckled against her neck, his lips hot against her skin.

"Confident, aren't you?" she murmured, turning around in his arms to look at him.

"With you in my arms, why wouldn't I be?"

Laughing softly, she shook her head at him, moving to get off the bed. "Come on, we've got to get to Sky High. And you've got to get out before my Great Aunt sees you. You want me to pack something for lunch for you?" Layla asked as she stuffed a few books and her pencil case into her bag.

"You mean that rabbit food you eat?" Warren said with a snort. "I'll buy my lunch, thanks anyway," he added, sitting up.

He pulled his pants on, smirking when he saw Layla staring at his chest.

"Like what you see, hippie?" Warren asked, laughing when she went bright red.

Grabbing her clothes for the day, Layla hurried out of the room without a word. Chuckling, Warren pulled his shirt over his head and shrugged his jacket on. Hearing footsteps approaching the room, he frowned. The shower was running, so that meant Layla was still in the bathroom. Making a quick decision, Warren stepped into Layla's wardrobe, carefully closing the door behind him. He couldn't risk going out the window and getting stuck on the roof, and there was no way in hell he was going to hide under Layla's bed.

The slats in the wardrobe doors allowed him to see in her room still, and some part of him was hoping that Layla had just forgotten something. The other part of him doubted that he'd be able to control himself if it was her Great Aunt, especially after the shouting match she and Layla had had the night before.

Greta stepped into Layla's room quietly, listening intently for the shower. She made her way over to the jewellery box sitting on the dresser, remembering a set of pearl earrings that had been there last time she'd stolen something. They were small pearls, but they were still pearls, and the girl had no right owning things like that. The brooch Greta had taken had been adored by all of her friends, although Frieda had still seemed suspicious about its sudden appearance.  _Especially after those stupid questions the girl had asked, all but accusing her of stealing the stupid thing! She had, of course, but that didn't mean a thing. She'd never had things like this when she was the girl's age, so why shouldn't she take them? Not having things builds character, after all_.

"Where are you?" Greta murmured, picking through the mess of earring hooks and sharp studs.

The house seemed much quieter, and that set alarm bells off in Greta's mind, making her realise that Layla was probably out of the shower. She left the room quickly, figuring that she'd come back for the pearls later. It was a shame, because she'd wanted to wear them to her bridge game this morning.

Layla walked into her room, oblivious to what had occurred moments ago in her room. She rubbed at her wet hair with her towel quickly, wondering where Warren had gone. Walking to the window, she looked outside only to find that he wasn't there. A creak behind her made her spin around quickly, eyes wide.

"Don't do that!" she hissed at Warren.

"Your Great Aunt was just in here. She was going through your jewellery box. I don't think she took anything," Warren replied.

Frowning, Layla went to her dresser, looking at the jewellery quickly, trying to determine whether it was all there or not. Seeing that everything was still in her possession, she grinned slightly. The secret compartment had worked. The jewellery box was wooden, and it had only taken a small amount of power to fashion a small drawer in the bottom. She'd placed the expensive items in there, and another bit of power had the drawer sealing itself into the wood without a trace. Without her power, no one would be able to open it.

"Everything still there?" Warren asked quietly.

She nodded in response, smiling at him. "It's safe. Come on, let's get you out of here before my Great Aunt tries to come in again."

Warren had one leg in and out of the window when they heard the front door slam. Pulling him inside quickly, Layla winced as they both fell back and he landed on her body. Moments later, she heard her Great Aunt's car pulling out of the driveway. Standing up, Layla brushed herself off and grinned at Warren.

"Come on, we'd better get going before we're late," she said, taking his hand and leading him out of the room.

Once she had packed lunch, Layla and Warren left for the bus. The driver raised his eyebrows on seeing them together, but shut the door behind them without a word. Warren guided her to the back seat, muttering about nosy drivers.

...

Greta hummed to herself as she headed up to Layla's room. The hammer was heavy in her hand, but she held it firmly so it wouldn't slip. There was the only way to get what she wanted, and she'd never been one to let personal feelings - or relatives - get in the way.

Opening the door, she was silent as she slipped into the room, the hammer raised high. It was over in a moment, the heavy metal head falling and smashing the fragile structure with ease.

Layla's wooden jewellery box lay in pieces, and Greta picked up the pearl earrings. Seeing that there were other things of value in the pieces of wood, she grabbed those too. She smiled to herself, leaving the room, humming once more.

The closest pawn shop was only a few minutes away, but she drove across town to the seediest and most cheap looking shop in Maxville.

The store owner bought the items for a much cheaper price than they were worth, but the money didn't matter to Greta. Layla had tried to kill her, she knew she had, despite the overwhelming evidence attesting to her innocence. She would pay.

...

Layla glanced at her watch. She had ten minutes before she had to get to work. Beside her, Craig frowned slightly. She was posing as his daughter, and they were about to put in the lotto numbers. Layla had already filled in the sheet and put it in his wallet, making sure he wouldn't see the numbers.

He really didn't know why she was being so paranoid, it wasn't like she was really going to win anything. Still, he'd promised to put the numbers in if she beat him at Save the Citizen, so here they were.

"Can I help you?" the news agency man drawled, barely glancing up from his paper.

"I'd like to put these lotto numbers in, please," Craig replied, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket.

He opened it, frowning when he didn't see the slip of paper in his wallet.

"Mum put in the back pocket, Daddy," Layla said, giggling at him.

"Oh, right," he muttered quickly, finding the paper and handing it to the guy behind the counter.

The man didn't seem interested in their interaction, and processed the paper quickly, asking for the payment.

Craig handed over the notes, took the change, and then left with Layla. Once they were outside and out of the line of sight of non-supers, Craig changed back to his normal form, and adjusted his checkered shirt before handing Layla the lotto ticket.

"Did he see the numbers?" Warren asked, walking over to them.

"No, I didn't. Thanks for acting like I'm not even here," Craig muttered, rolling his eyes. "Hey, I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay Layla?"

"Sure. Thanks, Craig. I'll sit with you and the guys at lunch, okay?" she said sweetly.

He nodded in response, leaving without a word to Warren.

"Why are you going to sit with  **him** tomorrow?"

"Because I don't want to make him feel as if I just used him. Besides, we agreed that he could be a permanent marker, and I want to collect all of the pretty colours for myself," Layla said, laughing.

" _The pretty colours_?" Warren echoed, shaking his head at her. "What colour am I meant to be then?"

"Red, of course. What other colour would you be?"

"Black?"

"Oh, no, that's definitely  **my**  colour," she said with a sour laugh. "Come on, I've got five minutes to get to the Mayor's office. Want to walk me to work?"

Warren grinned at her and put an arm around her waist. "Sure, and I'll walk you home too. Come on, or you're going to be late."

Layla nodded, and they walked down to the Mayor's office quickly.

...

"So how are you going with  _The Monster_ , Layla?"

"Fine, thank you, Stephanie," she replied as she entered the staff area.

"Oh, that's really great, you know. You're the fourth person to try and get through it," Stephanie said with a laugh that wasn't from any amusement that Layla perceived. "Well, good luck," she said sweetly, returning to her desk.

Layla frowned slightly, having a bad feeling about the fake tone in her voice. She headed to where the small windowless office was that held  _The Monster_. As she approached, she could see that the chair that had been placed in front of the door had been moved. Layla quickened her pace without trying to look as though she was rushing, and on reaching the small office, she stilled, frozen in front of the windowed door. Inside the room, papers were strewn about everywhere, as if a sudden force from the overhead ceiling fan had managed to displace every single sheet.

"Oh, Layla, I'm so sorry. I didn't think anyone would be as malicious as this," Ms. Peace said behind her, resting her hand on Layla's shoulder gently.

Layla could feel a sensation in her head - different to Ms. Peace's itching compulsions - and she gathered that someone in the office was trying to read her thoughts or emotions. She took a deep breath, working on calming herself down.

"It's fine, Ms. Peace. I didn't put anything on the papers to keep them down, so it's essentially my fault," she said, giving her the best shit-eating grin she could manage.

"Are you sure? I doubt the Mayor would condone this sort of sabotage and backstabbing among his staff," she replied, her voice raising as she looked at her colleagues.

"I'm sure. Thank you, Ms. Peace. I suppose I'd better start again," Layla said, opening the door.

She didn't look overly convinced, but Ms. Peace nodded and returned to her desk, glaring at Stephanie along the way. The chair that had been outside of the office was now sitting inside and innocent by the doorframe, her tray still on top of the cushion.

Sighing at the mess that was around her, Layla began to pick up the papers and resort them into piles.

...

On Friday morning, Layla sat in English for Heroes, trying not to tap out her nerves about her essay grade. She would not allow herself to think of the second essay that was sitting in her bag, the one that had a detailed account of the Incredible Genius' reasons for kidnapping the Dean of the University of Maxville, and why he'd failed in getting what he wanted.

The teacher walked along the aisles, handing out small grade cards, smiling at students here and there.

Looking at her grade card, Layla wasn't surprised to see that she had failed. She'd received a mark of 11 out of 50. The notes read that her argument was sound, yet she had answered the question completely wrong, and therefore, couldn't pass.

She smiled to herself, and listened as the teacher outlined some general responses to the assignment that had been wrong. Not all of the students had come to Layla's conclusion, and had passed the assignment without a qualm. Some of these students were simply too dense to realise that they were being tested, and did no more and no less than what was required to pass. A few others needed to pass in order to feel good about themselves, and the last of the group had simply seen the assignment as nothing more than an English assignment that they needed to pass, and done exactly that.

Layla did notice that a very small number had failed along with her as well. Probably four or five out of the entire class of thirty students, if their expressions were anything to go by. The teacher called out six names - Layla's included - in order to give them a new assignment to make up the grade. This assignment was one about how good Heroes were, rather than villains, making it more than obvious that the assignments were geared towards determining a student's place on the hero-villain line. After writing down the essay question, Layla quickly wrote down the other five names, planning on checking Ethan's Save the Citizen book to see if they'd requested to fight against her and Warren. At least she definitely knew some people who might be permanent markers.

...

Zach couldn't help but frown as he watched Warren and Layla interact over lunch, which was difficult considering they were sitting at different tables. Layla had gone to sit with Craig, Larry, Adam, and a few of their friends today, but Warren didn't seem to mind as much this time around. As they weren't talking, it was difficult for him to pinpoint what was wrong, but he could tell that there was _something_  in their postures and eyes that just didn't seem right. He hadn't been able to eat his lunch yet, sensing that something was about to happen.

He was right, and within minutes of sitting down at lunch (his back facing Magenta and Will, both of whom seemed to think that saliva was an essential staple in their diet), Warren stood up without a word of warning. Over at her other table, Layla simply took a bite from one of her carrot sticks, acting as if nothing was out of the norm.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ethan asked, looking up at Warren with a frown.

Zach nudged his friend quickly, shutting him up, and ignoring Ethan's confused look. Warren didn't reply, leaving them and walking straight towards Will and Magenta. The cafeteria went silent as he did so, the students eager for a fight.

Will stood up when he realised that Warren was heading towards him, staring for a moment, as if he couldn't quite believe why his former best friend looked so murderous. Without giving so much as a warning, Warren took a swing. Will, still standing there stupidly, was consequently punched in the jaw, his neck cracking with the motion.

Warren's arms lit up, and Will's eyes widened. He dodged the fireball that was sent at him, trying to move towards Warren to hit him back and defend himself.

"Why are you doing this?" Will asked.

" _Why_? You're asking me  **why** , Stronghold?" Warren asked incredulously. "You cheated on Layla, you little prick, _that's_  why."

Will didn't reply, but his cheeks tinged brightly. Around them, a group had gathered, and were watching intently. Will took a swing at Warren, but he dodged him, faster and lighter on his feet than anyone would have guessed possible. His arms lit up once more, and the heat was incredible, but Will readied himself to land a punch. He fought past the heat, and his fist connected hard against Warren's chest. Flying through the air, Warren passed through the very same place that he had the year before. This year, however, Will was in control of his power, and hit far harder than he had then. Warren went through Coach Boomer's office, flew through Mr. Medulla's office lab, heard Mr. Boy's squeak of fear echoing from his office, and then came to a stop all the way down at Principal Powers' office.

For a moment the office was filled with silence as Principal Powers stared down at Warren's fallen form. Cheering from the cafeteria could be heard, and her lips thinned slightly. She turned into a comet and shot through the fractured walls to the cafeteria. The cheering and noise died down when she arrived and landed in her human form.

"Mr. Stronghold, come with me  _this instant_ ," Principal Powers said sternly.

Will pulled away from Magenta reluctantly, his grin fading on seeing the expression on the Principal's face.

"Warren Peace was the one who started it, Principal Powers," Magenta said quickly.

"That was no reason for Mr. Stronghold to end it.  **Now** , Mr. Stronghold," she said sternly, indicating to the cafeteria doors.

Nodding, Will left with Principal Powers quickly. The noise returned to the cafeteria soon after they had left, the mess cleared up almost immediately.

"Well, that was an interesting lunchtime show," Ethan said, turning to sit down again.

"Yeah, although, I'm surprised Warren let himself get punched like that," Zach murmured, sitting next to his friend.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.

"He could have easily dodged Will's hit, but he took it. I'm telling you, it was like he wanted to be hit, dude."

"Hey, where's Layla?"

Zach frowned when he realised that Layla was nowhere to be seen.

When Warren had first punched Will, Layla had slipped out of the cafeteria. She'd run straight up to Principal Powers' office, and within a minute or two, the door was opened by Warren. He grinned at her, his arms already full of files. She checked that the hallway was clear and stepped inside.

"Is that all of them?" she asked, opening her school bag.

"Yeah, it's all of the files from her filing cabinet. Quick, before she comes back," he said.

Layla nodded, turning to leave. Then she looked at him with a grin. "How'd it feel, punching him?"

"Fucking  _fantastic_ ," Warren said, grinning broadly.

With a small laugh, Layla hurried away, her bag bulging. Mere seconds after she'd turned the corner, Principal Powers came into view with Will.

"You weren't trying to escape punishment, were you, Mr. Peace?"

"No, ma'am, or else I would have left the moment you did," Warren replied, trying not to grin.

Her lips twitched slightly, but she tampered the response down and glared at both of them.

"A year after your last fight and you've destroyed the cafeteria again? Was it some reunion thing that no one informed me about?" Principal Powers asked, looking between them.

They were both silent, and with a heavy sigh, she led them to the Detention Room.

...

Warren avoided the gaze of his mother. He already knew what he would see, since he'd already seen it a year ago. Disappointment, disgust, and a look conveying everything she wasn't saying: that he was his father's son, that she thought she'd raised him better, that she blamed herself, and that he should know better.

Last year, he'd felt every piece of that Look, and had felt properly ashamed of what he'd done and the pain he'd caused his mother. This year, things had changed. He did feel a slight twinge of guilt that he'd put his mother through this again, but he couldn't bring himself to regret what he'd done. He'd done it for two reasons, one to hit Will, and the second to get the files from Principal Powers' office. Both of those reasons were because of Layla, and in regards to her, Warren simply couldn't bring himself to be sorry. He avoided his mother's gaze because he was sure that she would see his lack of remorse in an instant.

"You're grounded for a week, Warren. Apart from school, work, and escorting Layla to her house, you're not to leave. That means no staying over at her home for the night," she added.

Warren nodded briefly, his gaze still on the table in front of him.

"Please, just go to your room. I can't bring myself to look at you right now," she said, finishing her monologue with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Mum. I couldn't help myself though; he cheated on Layla, and he's going around sucking face with Magenta and making everyone sick. I had more people congratulate me on decking him today than I can count. I'm not saying that it's a good thing, of course, but I'm saying that I can't be sorry for what I did. I defended her, and I think that's good, even if I did go about it the wrong way. But really, I don't think it would have had the same impact if I wrote Stronghold a  _note_."

She laughed, unable to help herself at the thought of her son writing someone a sternly-worded note to defend Layla's honour. The laughter also relieved some of the tension she'd been feeling, and she sighed again, finally able to look at her son.

"Did Layla get home all right after you finished work?"

"Yes, Mum, she got to her Great Aunt's house fine."

There was something in his tone that made her frown, and she prompted him to continue.

"Her Great Aunt stole her mother's jewellery. She went right ahead and broke the wooden box it was kept in, and didn't even try to hide the evidence or anything. Layla can't find the jewellery, and with the extra cash her Great Aunt was waving around, she thinks she might have sold her mother's things."

"That's awful. Were the items expensive?"

"Most were of sentimental value, but some could've fetched a hefty price tag, apparently. Not really into jewellery myself, so I can't tell, but I know there were a pair of pearl earrings, and a white gold chain necklace."

"What's Layla planning on doing? She has the day off work tomorrow, is she going to look around for them?"

Warren shook his head briefly. "No, I don't think so. She'd be too upset to find them for sale in some store when they're all that her mother left to her."

Ms. Peace frowned, but decided that it probably would be overly emotional to try and find stolen jewellery items of that sort of sentimental value.  _Imagine if she didn't find them at all, or imagine if she did? What would she do then? Demand that they be returned? It wasn't likely that the store owner would just hand them over to her_.

"I'm beat, I'm going to bed now. Night, Mum," Warren said, kissing the top of her head as he walked past.

"Night," she called.

She'd become so distracted by Layla's misfortune that she forgot she was disappointed in Warren for using his fists first. Although, she'd be lying if she said that she didn't agree with his reasoning in some part of her mind. Of course, she would never admit that out loud. She had no desire to see her son go through life thinking that this sort of behaviour was appropriate. Sighing to herself, she went to her bedroom to sleep, silently hoping that she'd raised Warren right.

...

End of the seventeenth chapter.


	18. Chapter 18

"When I said you were grounded, this isn't what I meant could happen, Warren," his mother said with a heavy sigh.

From their seats at the table, Zach and Ethan both grinned guiltily.

"Sorry, Ms. Peace. We didn't think it would be a problem, since Warren's not technically leaving the house," Layla said, attempting a quick smile.

" _Technically,_  being grounded means that he's not meant to see friends outside of school or work," she replied, her eyebrow raised slightly.

"Even if this is for school?" Layla asked.

She sighed heavily in response, throwing her arms up and leaving the room.

"You've really got to teach me how to do that," Warren muttered once his mother was out of earshot.

Layla just grinned and shook her head at him before turning back to her homework.

...

"Morning, Warren," Layla said, smiling at him as he sat beside her on the bus.

"It's a Monday, what's so good about it, hippie?" he muttered, his eyes closing.

"Well, since you were grounded because of me, I wanted to make up for it.  _So_..." she trailed off as she opened her bag, rifling through it to find what she was looking for.

Warren's nose recognised the smell moments before he registered exactly what it was, and he was already halfway to sitting up properly when he opened his eyes.

"I bought you chocolate-covered coffee beans," Layla said, grinning at his expression. "And a calendar," she added, passing him the small block of paper. "I told you I'd buy you coffee and a calendar, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," he agreed, nodding, his eyes solely on the paper bag.

He took the offered bag of chocolate coffee beans quickly, opening it and breathing in deeply, savouring the sweet and bitter scents. His mouth watered in anticipation, and it took a lot of willpower to not just tip the bag back into his mouth and chew.

"Thanks, hippie," Warren said, grinning at her.

Looking immensely pleased at his response, she grinned in return, then gestured to the bag. "Don't let me hold you up."

He nodded, taking a small handful, dropping a few of the beans into his mouth. The taste overwhelmed him in the best way possible, and Warren knew that whatever punishment he'd received for getting into a fistfight with Stronghold was well worth the chocolate covered caffeine. It was like some heavenly drops of coffee and chocolate had just melted in his mouth. Warren took another mouthful and closed his eyes, deciding to lose himself to his sense of taste and not think until they reached Sky High.

It took him a few moments to realise that someone had moved to the back seat and was sitting next to Layla. She'd edged closer to Warren slightly, and on feeling her body pressing next to his, he finally opened his eyes. Seeing the little runt sitting next to Layla, he glared, setting his bag of heaven aside carefully.

"What're you doing back here?" he growled at the blonde little  _boy_.

The boy blanched slightly, but didn't seem to get the hint, and stayed where he was. "I was just ... I mean, I wanted to know," he babbled, then finally caught himself and turned to look at Layla properly. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out on a date with me sometime?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, her heart seemed to be pounding in her ears and chest, and she'd suddenly forgotten how to breathe and talk.

"Now, I don't see why Layla would want to do that when she's already dating me," Warren remarked, his tone completely casual as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

If it weren't for the fact that his body temperature seemed to rise a few degrees, Layla could have been fooled by his tone herself. They weren't dating - and still had yet to discuss any of the heated kisses they'd had - and there was an ache in her chest at the thought.  _But then_ , she reasoned,  _he could have realised how uncomfortable she felt, and was just making stuff up to get the kid to go_.

"She ... I mean, you are?" the boy asked, staring at her.

Layla doubted that a nod would suffice. Around them, people were watching the interaction, their gazes silent but intent. She wondered if they'd make a sound if the bus went off the edge of the freeway right now.

"Yes, I'm dating Warren," Layla said, her voice clearer than she thought it would be.

Warren smirked at the runt, and pulled Layla onto his lap, his hands at her waist as he kissed her hotly. As they kissed, his lips burning against hers, his hands close to flaming, and her own body responding in kind, Layla suddenly began appreciate the taste of coffee.

Oblivious to either of them, the boy left, his eyes wide and face pale. He was just glad that Warren hadn't taken offence to him hitting on his girlfriend and roasted him alive!

Noise began immediately, and as the bus dropped off the unfinished road, their gossiping whispers were replaced by screams at the sudden change in altitude.

Layla - who hadn't been strapped on to a seat, and was only sitting now due to Warren's grip on her hips - pulled away from the kiss, feeling lightheaded.

"Thanks, Warren. You didn't have to do that; I could have let him down," she said, her cheeks red.

"I know I didn't; I wanted him - and everyone else, for that matter - to know that you're mine," Warren said, his voice husky.

"Yours?" she echoed, unable to feel degraded or insulted at his choice of words. She liked the idea of being his, and only his. So long as he was  _only hers_. "You're mine too, right?" Layla asked, looking at him.

He grinned and nodded, moving to kiss her again. She let him kiss her for a moment, pulling away again.

"Ask me properly then," she said in his ear.

"Go out with me, hippie?" Warren asked.

"You want to go out with me, but you won't even call me by my name?" Layla asked, frowning briefly.

"No, because every time I say your name, it comes out like this,  _Layla_ ," he said, and she knew that the two small syllables of her name had  _never_  sounded so sinful, nor so full of promise and desire before.

She blushed as his voice and her name seemed to travel across her skin, goosebumps following, and a trail of heat burning inside her in their wake. The lines of heat converged in her stomach, tightly wound coils of desire that would spring open if he ever said her name like that again.

"See what I mean?" Warren asked, smirking at her.

"Does the same thing happen to you if I say your name?"

"You could try it, but I'm barely controlling the fire now. Maybe wait until we've landed," he said with a grin.

Grinning back at him, Layla moved slightly, kissing him again. This kiss was softer than any before, like petals brushing against his lips.

Warren held himself back from deepening the kiss, wanting nothing more than to ravish her mouth with his; he wanted her to burn the way he did. As if she'd read his mind, her kiss became more heated. He realised then that she was like a flower, opening up for the first time, petals slowly unfurling to reveal the beauty inside. ( _If anyone was reading his thoughts right now, he'd seriously have to kill them or something_.)

A tingling thought in the back of his mind made it's way to the front.  _Can't wait to make love to her_. Which was ridiculous, of course. Warren Peace did not  _make love_. He fucked, took, devoured, had sex, and he was not sweet or cute or soft. But Layla kind of made him want to be; she deserved to be treated better than he'd treated his past girlfriends.

 _Oh, he sounded pussy whipped already. Next thing he knew, he'd be holding her books and walking her to class_. He barely repressed a shudder at the thought.  _Although, if anyone was looking to hurt him in any way, they'd go for Layla first, and where better to hurt someone than in a crowded school where no one would stand out_? He'd better walk with her.

Layla slid off Warren's lap gently, a belt strapping her into the seat immediately. Her cheeks were red, her lips were swollen, and she was fairly sure that she'd stolen some of Warren's fire, because her body felt like it was burning from her head to her toes. She saw Sky High come into view, and smiled, turning to Warren and putting her lips close to his ear.

"Best Monday morning  _ever_ ," she said, laughing softly against his skin.

He didn't have time to reply, because the bus landed, and they quickly concentrated on keeping their breakfast down. The driver still hadn't learnt how to land smoothly, and today was no exception. As usual, Warren waited for Layla to get off the bus first, but this time, instead of parting ways, he started to walk with her to class.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a slight frown.

"Walking you to your first class," Warren replied briefly.

"I can see that, but why? You've never walked with me before," Layla pointed out.

"It's normally what guys do for their girlfriends," he said, shrugging.

She smiled slightly at the term, but then her smile slipped and she shook her head. "You don't have to walk me, Warren. And let's face it: we're not exactly normal compared to other people and their relationships."

( _Damn, if her saying his name didn't make him want to back her against the closest wall and kiss her until she was begging for him_.)

"Well, that's true," he said with a grin. "You sure you'll be able to get to class okay on your own?"

"Unlike the previous two years?" she pointed out, her eyebrow raised at him.

"All right, but if anyone says or does anything, you tell me and I'll roast them."

Layla rolled her eyes at him, but grinned slightly. She kissed him, pulling away before they got too involved, and hurried to homeroom. Warren waited for a moment before going to the junior's homeroom.

...

Zach watched them, scrutinising every look, every motion, everything they weren't saying and everything they were saying.

"Are you all right, Zach?" Layla asked, frowning at him briefly.

He started, surprised at her question. "Yeah, fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you've got a bowl of ravioli in front of you - which you  _usually_  devour in minutes - and you haven't had a bite yet," she replied, looking at his food pointedly.

"What's up, glow stick?" Warren prompted when Zach didn't say anything for a long moment.

"Heard a rumour that you two are dating. Well, not a rumour, exactly, because Johnny boy catches the same bus as you two, and he said that Warren said that you were dating, and you agreed, and then spent the rest of the trip sucking face," Zach rambled.

"We did not  _suck face_ ," Layla said, her expression a mix between a glare and frown. "We kissed, and it was way more appropriate than anything other people - who shall remain nameless - do at lunch!" she said, rolling her eyes.

"So you  _are_  dating then?" Ethan asked, looking between the two.

Warren nodded in response.

"Then why aren't you acting all mushy and stuff? Don't you like each other? Is this just a ruse to make everyone leave you alone?" Zach asked, his tone demanding answers.

Layla snorted a laugh. "When have you  _ever_  seen Warren be  _mushy and stuff_?"

"She's got a point there," Ethan said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Zach opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Okay, fine. What about you then? I've seen you be mushy heaps of times!" he said, looking at Layla.

She shrugged slightly. "I don't need to be mushy to communicate with Warren. Although, if I really wanted to, I'm sure I could dredge up an appropriate amount of mush. I'd start with  _cutie_ , and maybe evolve into  _cutie-pie_ , and then I could settle on  _honey-bun_ ," Layla said, her voice serious but the light in her eyes betrayed her.

Warren's hands lit up, and his jaw clenched tightly. Across from them, Ethan and Zach were laughing behind closed fists.

"I'm joking.  _Breathe_ , there you go," she said, patting his extinguished hand softly. "Hmm, maybe I should call you  _hottie_  instead," Layla muttered, blowing onto her palm.

"No nicknames.  _Ever_ ," Warren growled, his gaze fixated on the two boys across from them.

Ethan's laughter stopped immediately, and Zach went quiet a moment later, but still grinned brightly.

"Are you all right?" Warren asked, looking at Layla's tender hand.

"It's fine, I promise. I told you, I've done worse with poisonous plants," she said, rolling her eyes at his concern.

"Well, there's the mush you wanted," Ethan muttered to Zach quietly.

He nodded in agreement, grinning again.

"Ethan? Do you mind if I borrow the book for Save the Citizen?" Layla asked when she'd looked up from her hand.

"Not at all. I'll go get it for you now," Ethan said, leaving before anyone could stop him.

"Planning the next game a bit early, aren't you?" Zach asked, frowning.

"Something like that," Layla said with a noncommittal sound.

"What are you doing, Lay?" he asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, glow worm," Warren said, glaring at him.

"It's all right, Warren. He's asking a perfectly legitimate question. But you won't get an answer until later. You're not quite ready for the truth, Zach. Trust me on this," Layla said, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"It's something ... E-V-I-L, isn't it?" he whispered, working hard to keep his thoughts under control.  _Who knew who Donny the mind-reader was listening to_?

Warren leant forward, his eyebrow raised slightly. "Everyone here can spell, glow worm," he whispered, mocking him. "Well, maybe not everyone," he amended with a grin.

Zach's face broke out into a grin when neither one denied it, and he looked at Layla. "I could be ready for the truth, Layla. How do you know I'm not?"

She shrugged briefly, not knowing how nor wanting to explain the vines under her skin, how they were telling her to wait, how she just seemed to  _know_  who was evil and who wasn't. Layla hadn't lied when she'd told Warren about girls talking incessantly when they were in the bathroom, she just hadn't mentioned the fact that the vines under her skin had started to vibrate intensely when Wendy Walker had entered the bathroom, and she'd almost screamed in pain at the sensation. The school files she'd read only yesterday made a lot of sense, and she'd found herself looking at a lot of people very differently over the course of the day.

"Hey, Layla. Here's the book for you. Did I miss something?" Ethan asked, looking between the three of them with a frown.

"No, Warren was just threatening Zach to roast him for trying to think of another nickname for him," Layla lied easily.

"Yeah, I was thinking of the Human Cigarette... What? He burns, and has the potential to kill, it could work," Zach muttered when they all looked at him oddly.

"Let me reiterate my earlier threat: if you so much as  _think_  of a nickname to call me by, I will not only roast you, I'll take so long to do it that you'll  **beg**  for death. Got it?" Warren growled, glaring at Zach.

"Got it!" Ethan said, his eyes wide in fear.

Zach just shook his head, grinning again.

"Well, that's interesting," Layla murmured to herself.

Her voice was quiet enough that she hardly heard her own voice, but Warren must have heard her, because he stopped glaring at Zach and looked to her curiously.

Layla didn't answer his unspoken question, continuing to flick through the pages of the book. It was very interesting to see that every single person she knew was evil - whether through her own response to them, or their results from their assignment - had not asked to compete against her and Warren. She knew that there was probably a reason for it, and she wondered what would happen if she challenged Wendy to participate in Save the Citizen.

When he realised that Layla wasn't going to reply, Warren simply turned back to his lunch. He'd ask her later when they weren't surrounded by people who could be listening to everything they were saying and thinking.

Zach finally realised that he wasn't going to get any answers from either them, and decided to eat his lunch before it went cold.

...

Layla arrived at work to find the room to  _The Monster_  locked, and through the small window on the door she could see that her work from Friday evening was still on the seat, untouched and neatly in place. After everyone had left on Friday, Ms. Peace had pulled Layla aside to give her a key to the room. She'd convinced the Mayor that a key was necessary, as it probably wasn't the best idea to keep the room unlocked due to the type of files that were kept in the filing cabinet, especially with the upcoming election. The opposition would pay good money to find out exactly what the Mayor and his party had spent on their various holidays and "conferences" in the Bahamas. The Mayor had agreed immediately, handing her the key to make a copy.

Ms. Peace smiled briefly over at Layla, seeing the relief on the poor girl's face on finding the door still locked and her work tidy. She'd watched as Layla had put a heavy paperweight on the pile of paper, to ensure nothing would happen just in case the ceiling fan mysteriously turned on by itself again, despite being inside of a locked room. There had been a fierce determination in her eyes, and a small amount of sadness at the thought of possibly finding everything a mess again. Ms. Peace was happy that it was still all in place.

Stepping into the room, Layla closed the door behind her and set to work. After resorting all of the papers last week, she was almost finished the second drawer. A few papers had been placed on her tray that she'd left outside last week, and she added those to the growing piles of paperwork before opening the second drawer and pulling out a batch of files to sort.

In what felt like mere minutes, two hours had passed, and Ms. Peace knocked on the door to inform Layla that it was time for her break. Thanking her quickly, Layla stood and left to go with her to the staff room.

...

By the time her shift finished at 8pm, Layla had finished sorting the third and final drawer of  _The Monster_. The paperwork that rested on the chair was sorted alphabetically, and she was close to finishing the relabelling of the files in the drawers. Ms. Peace said how impressed she was, watching as Layla locked the door to the small room, and tucked the key away in her bag.

"When you're finished with  _The Monster_ , you'll be able to start the photocopying requests at the end of the day. I've been doing them for you so far, because taming  _The Monster_  and getting it under control is far more important. With the election coming up soon, we'll have a lot of journalists asking for information about things we've done over the Mayor's electoral term, and we'll need to find them quickly."

"Do you think I should make a directory of sorts then, so everyone can find it without messing up  _The Monster_  again?" Layla asked.

"That's a good idea. Very good initiative," she replied with a smile.

Layla smiled brightly at the praise.

"Hey, hippie. Ready to go?" Warren asked, pushing himself off the wall by the door when his mother and Layla exited the building.

"Hi," she said with a bright smile, moving to kiss him.

He hesitantly kissed her back, his hands on her hips gently.

"So you two are finally dating then?" Warren's mother asked, grinning broadly at her son's expression.  _It was about time; they'd been dancing around each other for more than two weeks! Or really, before that, when Warren had first agreed to go to Homecoming with Layla the year before_.

"Yes," Warren replied, nodding, his cheeks flushed.

"If my son says or does anything that you're not comfortable with, tell me and I'll sort him out. And if you hurt Warren in any way, shape, or form, I will bring you so much pain that you won't even remember what it's like to  _not_  be in pain. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am. I have no intention of hurting him," Layla promised.

"Good. Now, go before you miss your bus," she said, shooing them away.

Warren nodded, leaving before his mother could say or do anything that would embarrass him.

"Was that really necessary, hippie?" he muttered when they were seated on the bus ten minutes later.

"Kissing you, or kissing you in front of your mother?" she asked, grinning at him.

"The latter."

"It definitely was necessary. I doubt she'd appreciate hearing about our relationship from someone else. Besides, since you're still grounded, it's not like we can make out at any other time."

He shook his head at her grin. "What was interesting earlier? You were looking at Ethan's book for Save the Citizen," Warren prompted.

"Oh, that. I was reading the student files over the weekend, and most of the ones who could be permanent markers haven't asked to compete against us... Now, are you going to kiss me or not?" Layla asked, her eyes twinkling as she grinned at him.

Warren immediately pulled her onto his lap, kissing her intently, his lips burning against hers. Layla kissed him back eagerly, her hands gripping his shoulders. She wriggled slightly, and he groaned into her mouth at the sensation she caused, his hands heating up quickly. Warren hurried to move them before he burned her, his fingers splaying across her back. He pulled away reluctantly, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"What's wrong?" Layla asked, frowning briefly.

"Almost lost control," he replied, trying to keep his breathing even. "Besides, we're nearly at your stop."

Layla wondered what would happen if he did lose control, especially if  _she_  could make him lose control of his tight hold on his power. She shivered in delight at the thought.

"I trust you, Warren. Besides, I know that you would never hurt me," she said, smiling at him.

Warren didn't look as confident as she did, but then the bus came to a stop and they hurried to get off, Layla thanking the driver.

"You sure you can't stay over? I'll make it worth your while," Layla cajoled.

Her words set him alight instantly, and Warren struggled to keep his flames under control before extinguishing them. He saw the grin on Layla's face and growled, a deep sound reverberating from deep in his throat.

" _Not funny_ , hippie."

"Oh, I think it was," she said with a laugh, her eyes shining. "I wasn't joking anyway," Layla added, grinning again.

Warren growled at her once more, taking her wrists in his hands, pulling her to his body, his lips devouring against hers. She seemed to melt against him, her teeth and lips ferocious. She didn't seem to mind that her wrists were being burned and bruised by his grip. When his need for oxygen made his lungs burn, Warren pulled away, licking his lips. Layla grinned up at him, her lips swollen and dark from the various nips and bites he'd made on the soft flesh.

"If I don't go now, I'm not going to leave," he muttered, but couldn't bring himself to move.

"You probably should go now then," she agreed breathlessly.

Despite both of their words, Warren and Layla began kissing again, his hands finally letting go of her wrists. Moments later, her arms were wrapped around his neck, and his hands were resting against the small of her back. Their bodies were pressed against each other, and he couldn't hide his response to her body, kisses, or the little moans she was making at his ministrations. Again, it was only a need for oxygen that had them pulling apart, and Warren forced himself to step back away from the temptation of her.

"See you tomorrow, Warren," she said, grinning.

Layla turned and walked away before he could settle his mind down enough to answer her. He lingered for a moment, watching the movement of her hips as she walked, before turning and leaving too. As he walked back to the bus stop, Warren noticed that despite the late hour, the flowers in the houses sculpted gardens had all bloomed.

...

End of the eighteenth chapter.


	19. Chapter 19

Layla organised the first pile of "A" papers into alphabetical order, and then by date. It was time consuming, but it would make it easier to locate documents and file new ones later. As she went through the papers, she couldn't help but see the information on them.  _AAA Contractors_  had a lot of business through the council, some papers requesting permission to build new buildings, while others were for the inclusion or expansion of Secret Sanctums in houses.

Double taking, Layla read the document properly. The property owner wasn't named, but the super's alter ego name and address was listed. Layla recognised the names and address easily - the house belonged to the Stronghold's. Apparently, they'd expanded their Secret Sanctum just in time for Christmas. She vaguely remembered Will saying something about getting a new plasma TV for his Xbox. Well, now knew why she'd never seen the TV in his room.

Layla sorted through the pile at a faster pace, intent on finding what else this company had done. She was surprised to find that most of that pile were for the contractors. There were papers dating back more than three years. Layla was shocked that  _The Monster_  hadn't been locked up before this.  _If a super villain had access to this sort of information, then they'd know the addresses for every superhero in town! And now_ ** _she_** _had access to this information_...

A knock at the door startled Layla and she looked over to see Ms. Peace there. Hurrying to think of something else -  _her mother's desire to build a house closer to the veterinary practice across town_ \- Layla opened the door with a brief smile.

"Ready for your break, Layla?"

She nodded, grabbing her water bottle and sandwich from her bag.

"You'll have to set an alarm starting next week," Ms. Peace said, grinning briefly. "I'm only meant to be working until 6pm, so you'll have the place to yourself for two hours. I trust that you won't slack off?"

"Oh, I definitely won't do that," Layla promised.

"I'm glad. But then, we'll be able to see that the next day if the photocopying's not done," she said with another grin. "Now, that reminds me. You shouldn't get any photocopying requests next Thursday because we have a staff outing on the Friday. To help build trust and teamwork, or something ridiculous like that. You won't need to attend, so you get the afternoon off," she said, sounding envious. "Just remember to put your timesheet in on Thursday, or you'll have to come in on your day off."

Layla nodded, making a mental note to write it in her diary. She was sure she'd forget otherwise.

They finished the rest of their break in a comfortable silence, and after thanking Ms. Peace for keeping her company, Layla hurried back to  _The Monster_.

When she was certain that Ms. Peace wasn't in sight or trying to pick at her thoughts, Layla grabbed her phone and took pictures of a few documents. She put it away within minutes, worried that she'd been seen. If she was caught taking or with those photos, she could lose her job. The files had personal information and were under strict privacy laws, which had been detailed clearly in the contract she'd had to sign before starting the job.

Waiting a few moments to ensure she hadn't been seen, Layla started to sort through the papers once more.

...

Warren greeted Layla with a preoccupied noise, his gaze intent on the food cooking in front of him. Kim had called in sick, and since the man was a workaholic, there was little to do but accept that he really was sick, and get someone who could cook good enough to replace him for the night. That role had fallen to Warren, who had walked into the kitchen at the wrong time. Mrs. Woo had set on him immediately, hurriedly giving him three orders in a rushed set of syllables. Warren had barely managed to tie his hair back and wash his hands.

He started slightly when he felt two hands on his back, relaxing briefly when he realised that Layla was simply tying his apron strings for him.

"I'll be out the back. Breathe a bit, you're looking hot under the collar there," she said with a concerned smile, leaving before he could answer.

Ten minutes later, when Mrs. Woo realised that Layla was there, she sent Warren on his break, telling him to treat his lady friend with more words than the noises he'd made for most of the night. Warren had decided that he was too tired to argue, and simply took the offered bowl of rice out to the back, Mrs. Woo taking charge of his station immediately.

"Hey, hippie," he said, his fatigue showing in every syllable and step.

"Hey. Here, sit down," she said, patting the bench next to her. "Have you had anything to drink?" she asked, rummaging in her bag to get her bottle out. "It's clean; I washed the lid when I replaced the water earlier."

Warren took the bottle and drank gratefully, not realising just how thirsty he was.

"Better?" she murmured, smiling briefly.

"Better. Thanks, hippie," he said. "Busy night?" Warren asked, hoping that she would talk and keep him awake while he ate.

Layla seemed to understand his need and began talking. "I've finished sorting and refiling all of the A's, and I'm halfway through B now. It's fairly monotonous, and might take a while to finish, but I've found something interesting, so I don't mind so much. What I found could be very useful for the future."

"What did you find?" Warren asked, frowning.

She grinned brightly, pulling her phone out of her bag and displaying the pictures. Offering the phone to him silently, Layla took his bowl and chopsticks so he could look at the information. She snuck a bite of rice in before he noticed.

It took Warren a moment to comprehend what he was looking at, but when he did, his eyes widened and he looked at her. "That's really the home address of the Human Spider?" he asked, his voice low.

"His Secret Sanctum, actually. Which is the same as his home address... It might be a good idea for easy access, but it's really ridiculous to have them at the same place, don't you think? I mean, if I was going to have one, I'd have it completely separate, that way if anyone ever found me at either my house or sanctum, they couldn't trace it back to the other place. Plus, it'd help keep the whole secret identity thing in place, and it'd be easier to separate my work and home lives," Layla said, grinning.

"What if there's an emergency and you can't get to your sanctum?" Warren asked, taking his bowl back before she ate the rest of his dinner.

"Keep a spare outfit at home for emergencies," she replied, shrugging. "It probably wouldn't be that hard to do, but it might be expensive. It really depends on where the sanctum is and where I'm living."

"So no penthouse suite then?"

" _Funny_ , Warren," she drawled, rolling her eyes.

"I thought so," he said, grinning. "Are you okay to wait a bit longer? The restaurant's almost empty, so it should just be cleaning unless Mrs. Woo allows someone to come in in the next fifteen minutes," Warren said, seeing the clock above the door.

"I'll be fine," Layla said, kissing him quickly and nudging him towards the kitchen.

Warren headed to the door before he did something like lock the door and kiss her senseless.

...

"Hey, Warren? Time to wake up; we're here now," Layla said in his ear, helping his weary body stand, and guiding him down the bus aisle.

She ignored the driver's look of impatience as she helped Warren get off carefully.

"Thank you!  _Jerk_ ," she added in a mutter as the bus sped off.

Warren knew that Layla was using her plants to help him stay upright and walking, but he was somewhere between awake and asleep, and couldn't seem to shake himself out of it to walk on his own. He felt himself being lifted into the air, and moments later, felt a mattress beneath his body. Warren fell asleep without so much as a thought for his shoes or clothes.

By the side of her Great Aunt's house, Layla call Warren's mother.

"I'm worried to send him home; I just know he'll fall asleep on the bus and you'd probably have to go pick him up from the depot," Layla said.

"You're not doing this to spend time with him, are you? Warren's grounded for a reason, Layla, and while I'm happy that you two are dating now, it doesn't mean that you can do this to try and deceive me," Ms. Peace replied.

Feeling a pricking sensation in her head, Layla let her manipulate her emotions. She told the absolute truth: how tired Warren was on the bus, how she'd used her powers to help get him off the bus and down the street, how he was too tired to even talk to her after his shift at  _The Paper Lantern_. There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone, and the prickling sensation left Layla's mind a moment later, the need to tell the truth fading.

"Fine. But you call me if anything happens. I'll come and pick him up, no questions asked, all right?"

"All right. Thank you, Ms. Peace. I'll see you tomorrow at work. Good night," Layla said.

Warren's mother returned the sentiment, and they hung up from the call. Heading to the front door, Layla unlocked the deadbolt and handle, using a small vine to unlatch the chain. She stepped inside, locking it all again behind her.

Greta was nowhere to be seen, but she was grateful for that. Since she'd stolen her mother's jewellery, her Great Aunt had taken to wearing her flower brooch at all times, even at night, and Layla had to refrain from tying her up with her sharpest vine just to get it back.

Going upstairs to her bedroom, Layla could hear her Great Aunt snoring from down the hall. It wasn't a fake snore, but a proper and deep one, but she didn't bother looking into her room. She knew it would still be alarmed like last time, and continued to her own room.

Warren was asleep on her bed, and Layla couldn't help but smile. Her smile faded when she saw just how exhausted he was, even in sleep. Layla took his shoes off, and then used a few soft plants to lift him off the bed gently, removing Warren's pants and shirt carefully.

 _She didn't want him to overheat in the night_ , she reasoned with herself, even as her gaze lingered on his body.

Getting changed into her own pyjamas, Layla moved to lie beside him, the sheet wrapped around her body. Still asleep, Warren rolled over and wrapped an arm around her body.

With a brief thought, a vine slithered down from Layla's arm, across the floor and to the door. It closed and locked the door, and she turned in Warren's arms, falling asleep as the vine disappeared into the floor.

...

"Hey dude, I forgot to ask you before; since you won the bet for Save the Citizen, what dare did you want me to do?" Zach asked, frowning at Ethan over lunch.

"Why would you  _ask_  about that?" Warren asked, shaking his head.

"Hey, I don't want to be remembered as the guy who didn't pay up for a bet!"

"Believe me, glow stick, you definitely won't be remembered for that," he said with a smirk, looking at Zach's bright green clothes.

"Well, what's your dare? You want me to streak down the corridor? I reckon I could keep up a glow bright enough so no one sees me," Zach mused.

"No, nothing like that," Ethan said, his cheeks darkening. "I ... I was going to dare you to ..." he began, his stammering surprising the other three at the table.

Ethan might have been shy, but he wasn't one to stammer over his words. In fact, he usually used too many words, and it was odd to see him at a loss.

"Come on, man, what is it already?" Zach asked, frowning.

Ethan looked away from him. He saw that Donny was looking directly at him and blanched slightly. Without another word he stood up, his chair scraping loudly. Ignoring the looks he received at the noise, Ethan left quickly, his bag clutched to his chest.

"What the hell was that about?" Zach asked in confusion, looking to Warren and Layla with a frown.

"No idea; I'm not a mind reader," Warren replied, shrugging.

"Donny might know though. Do you want me to ask him, or are you just going to go look for Ethan?" Layla asked pointedly, reminding Zach that his best friend had just run out of the cafeteria.

"Oh, right. See you later," he said, hurrying out.

"You have any idea what Ethan was on about, hippie?" Warren asked, glancing to her.

"Nothing substantial. We'll find out eventually, I'm sure," she said with a brief smile.

"If not, then I'm fairly sure we can threaten Donny to tell us."

"Why can't we just ask Ethan? Why bother going to a secondary source when the main source is available? Especially when the secondary source doesn't seem to like it when I threaten him," Layla said, a smirk on her face as she waved at Donny.

Donny hurried to look away from her, scowling.

"That was cruel," Warren said, unable to stop his chuckle.

Beneath the table, he squeezed her hand gently, and then they returned to their lunches quietly.

Zach found Ethan within a few minutes of searching. He'd gone to a bathroom, and was in his melted form, a mess of orange and brown on the floor.

"Hey dude, you okay?" Zach asked, moving to sit beside him on the floor. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. I probably should've asked you in private, huh? I tend not to think a lot, y'know, and it's stupid, and I  _know_  that, so I'm trying to be better... I'm noticing a lot more things, and I reckon I could have seen what was happening with Magenta and Will if I'd actually paid more attention, so I should've done the same with you. I should've seen that asking you about the dare was a stupid thing to do, especially in the cafeteria. Forgive me?"

The puddle beside him bubbled slightly, and in a moment, Ethan was reformed and sitting beside Zach.

"Of course. It was stupid, to get emotional like the way I did. I usually have better control than that," Ethan muttered.

"So, what's up? Is the dare really that embarrassing?" he asked with a slight grin.

Ethan sighed heavily, looking down at his shoes, his cheeks burning.

"I dare you to kiss me... Just let me explain before you say anything," he added, still not looking up. "Everyone else has been kissed and the emotion has changed their powers in some way. I'm the only one who hasn't, and I want my powers to grow. It's not a relationship or anything, because I know you like girls," he said, purposely not referring to himself, "but I just didn't want to ask in front of everyone."

Zach was silent for a moment, but Ethan seemed relieved that he hadn't bolted at his words.

"I don't know, man, a first kiss is pretty important. You sure you want it to be with me?" Zach asked, scratching his head.

Ethan looked at him now, surprised, but he nodded in response.

"All right. But we're not going to do it right now, are we? 'Cause the bathroom floor is one of the most unromantic places ever," Zach said, grinning.

"Okay. When do you want to do it then?"

"It's your dare, you can decide."

The bell rang loudly and they got off the floor, leaving the bathroom to head to class.

"You ... you won't tell anyone, will you?" Ethan asked, nervous.

"That you're my best friend and I'm doing you a favour that will earn me... oh, I don't know, a lifetime of servitude? Nah, why would I do that?" Zach asked, grinning broadly.

"Yeah, right, glow stick," Ethan muttered, but he couldn't help grinning in return.

...

Pacing around his room nervously, Ethan resisted the temptation to melt down and hide in a dark corner. He'd asked Zach to kiss him this morning before they began their study session with Warren and Layla for the weekend. His parents had gone out for the day, making him promise to call if there was an emergency.

The doorbell rang loudly, and he rushed out of his room. As he reached the bottom step, Ethan realised that he'd probably look stupid if he was standing at the door, heaving for breath, and forced himself to slow down. He took smaller steps, telling himself that his hands were only sweaty because of everything  _other_  than the fact that he was going to be kissed today. The doorbell rang again, loudly and continuously. It seemed like Zach was getting impatient.

"Come on, man, I'm about to drop lunch!" Zach called.

Frowning, Ethan hurried to open the door to see Zach standing there with a large casserole dish.

"Mum insisted I bring something. What she didn't mention was that it was going to weigh the same as our car," Zach groaned, stepping inside. "Is it okay if I put this in the kitchen?"

"Y-yeah, go right ahead," Ethan said, still stunned.

"It's vegetable stew, I think. I told Mum's that Lay's a vegetarian. I think she added a whole bag of carrots and potatoes in the damn thing," Zach muttered, returning back to the hallway, wiping his hands on his shirt. "You going to close the door?" he asked, grinning.

Ethan hurried to close the door, but he couldn't seem to move from where he was standing. Zach frowned at him briefly before leading him into the lounge room by the shoulder, sitting him down.

"Freaking out about the kiss?" he asked, his frown turning into a quick grin. "I worried about it too, y'know, but I figure that it'll be good. Hey, can you tell me if I'm a good kisser or not? I was always too afraid to ask Magenta, 'cause, well, y'know, she's Magenta."

Ethan managed a brief nod.

"Hey, just relax. It's a kiss; I'm not going to hack you into pieces and add you to the stew," Zach said lightly, trying to make him smile.

"I know that," he replied, hating how small his voice sounded.

"You want me to start off?"

Confused as to what he meant, but not wanting to look inexperienced, Ethan nodded.

Zach smiled brightly, moving closer to him slowly so as not to frighten him more. He took Ethan's glasses off and put them on the coffee table.

"Just relax. You'll like it... I hope," he added, grinning.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ethan's gently. Moving his mouth slowly, Zach ran his hands along Ethan's shoulders to help him relax and encourage him to respond.  _No one would ever say that Zachary Brighton backed away from a bet, and as this was Ethan's first kiss, he would make sure that it would be a damn good one_.

Ethan responded hesitantly, his eyes scrunched up tightly at first. As Zach continued his reassuring strokes along his shoulders, he relaxed, trying to enjoy the kiss.  _Zach wanted to tell him if he was a good kisser, so he had to pay attention to that too_.

Pulling away when he saw an odd glow filling the room behind his closed eyes, Zach grinned guiltily when he realised that he'd powered up and was emitting a soft glow. He licked his lips quickly, but found that he didn't want to move away from Ethan just yet.

"That... That was amazing," Ethan said, his cheeks and eyes bright.

Zach grinned, and the glow he was emitting brightened. He hurried to dull it when Ethan winced in pain, but couldn't stop grinning.  _He liked kissing Ethan, even more than Magenta_ , he realised a moment later, the thought surprising him.

"I told you we'd find out what the dare was sooner or later," Layla said, smirking at Warren.

Going red, Zach hurried to stand up quickly when he saw Layla and Warren standing in the doorway. "Hey guys, we were just ... well, it was a dare, and I just ... I think I've got to go," he said, running out of the house before anyone could react.

"Sorry. We did knock," Layla said, looking slightly guilty.

Ethan tried not to let them see just how crushed he was at Zach's sudden departure. "It's okay. I probably should've locked the door. Could you imagine if my parents came home to see that?" he asked with a hollow laugh. "Um... I'm just going to get a drink. Be back soon," he mumbled, hurrying to the kitchen.

"We should have left them to it," Warren muttered.

"Mmm... Did you see Zach controlling his power like that? I bet he's never changed the amount of light he emits before," Layla murmured, looking out to the front door.

In the kitchen, Ethan had melted the moment his foot came into contact with the tiled floor. He'd been emotional in this state before, but never sad. He usually melted in fear or nerves, and the fact that this time he was distraught seemed to be effecting his powers. The puddle usually became a swirl of the colours of his clothes, but this time it was as clear as water. Ethan didn't know how he knew that, he just simply knew. But it didn't matter.  _He'd probably just ruined his friendship with Zach. Why else would he have run out of the house like that_?

After a few minutes, Layla walked down to the kitchen quietly. She couldn't hear anything, and opened the door. A large pool of water was on the floor, and it took her a moment to realise that it was actually Ethan. She had to hold herself back from commenting on his new look, and dampened her curiosity towards it.  _Was it a result of Zach's kiss, or Zach leaving? Or a combination of both_?

"I'm going to go find Zach, okay? Warren will be here if you want to talk to him," she told him, her voice soft and kind.

He didn't reply, but he shifted behind the counter to continue crying without an audience.

Leaving the kitchen, Layla went to Warren, frowning slightly. "He's in his melted form, and looks like a puddle of water," she said, and he could tell that she was resisting her own curiosity to know why Ethan was suddenly like that. "Will you stay here with him, Warren? I'm worried about both of them."

He nodded in return, glancing to the open front door. "Where do you think the glow stick's gone? Not many places to hide around here, are there?"

"There's an old paddock a few streets over, he might have gone there if he didn't want to be noticed," Layla said. "I'll text you when I've found him, okay?"

Warren nodded, and when Layla had disappeared from sight, he headed towards the kitchen. While he didn't have his mother's gift to recognise and manipulate emotions, Warren figured he'd learned enough from her over the years to be able to coax Ethan back into his human form. Maybe from there, he'd even be able to convince him to go find Layla and Zach.

Layla had been right about where Zach had gone, and found him sitting in the long grass. As the property didn't belong to anyone, no one had maintained it, and the grass was the same shade as Zach's hair, and up to her waist. After sending a quick text to Warren, she made her way through the grass to where Zach was sitting. A small burst of power had the grass surrounding them turning to a fresh green colour, and she sat beside him.

"Are you all right, Zach?"

He sighed and shook his head briefly, resting his chin on his knees.

"Want to talk about it?"

Again, he shook his head. She put an arm around his shoulders, and they sat there until Warren arrived later to tell them that his mum had come to pick them up.

...

The next day, Layla answered an incessant knocking at the front door to find Zach standing there. He looked paler than usual, as if he'd spent the night tossing and turning rather than sleeping.

"I need to ask a favour," Zach pleaded, his tone far more desperate than she'd heard before.

"Why don't you come in? My Great Aunt's over at Mrs. Olgestein's house. Something about a divorce party," Layla said, shaking her head briefly.

Nodding as if he hadn't heard more than her offer to come inside, Zach walked in, his hands tapping against his legs nervously.

"What's the favour?" she asked, realising that small talk was out of the question.

"I need to kiss you."

Her eyes widened slightly, and Zach hurried to explain.

"You know how I kissed Ethan yesterday? Well, I liked it. I mean,  _liked it_ - _liked it_. I liked kissing him more than I did kissing Magenta, and I thought it was weird because I've always thought about girls, and then I kiss him, and it's like my whole world was just one of those snow globes with the pieces flying everywhere. I just want to kiss you to see what I feel, to see if it's all girls, or if it's just Ethan. I don't know, really, I just ..."

His words were cut off by Layla kissing him. She pulled away after a brief response from Zach. He touched his lips with a frown, his brows burrowing as he thought intently.

"Okay, now are you going to stand here all day, or are you going to go see Ethan?" Layla asked, grinning.

Zach thanked her and left her house quickly.

"You didn't think to ask me before kissing him?" Warren muttered, coming out of the kitchen to look at her.

"I would have, but  _you_  would have kissed him just to get him to shut up."

"Doubt it. But you know, all of that continuous talking reminds me of someone else," he muttered, looking at her pointedly. "You'd better clean your mouth before you kiss me," Warren added with a frown.

"You're not even going to ask if he was a better kisser than you?" Layla taunted, grinning.

"No, because the moment you've finished cleaning your mouth, I'm going to kiss you until you forget that you even saw the glow stick," Warren growled. He led her upstairs to the bathroom. "Hurry up, hippie."

Layla grinned, but still went inside, rinsing her mouth and brushing her teeth just for good measure. The moment she opened the door, Warren pulled Layla flush against his body and kissed her. She gasped in surprise at the sudden action, but her lips curved into a smile, and she kissed him back eagerly.

...

Ethan's parents were out the back arguing amiably over the way a barbecue should be cooked, and as he was in his room, Ethan was the only one who heard the doorbell. He didn't want to answer, didn't want to leave his room, and had no desire to be sociable with his parents' friends. Even if they were board members at the University of Maxville.

The doorbell rang again, and he groaned in annoyance when he realised that he was going to have to leave his room after all. Putting his glasses on, Ethan made his way downstairs, hoping his eyes weren't too puffy from crying. He'd cried in his melted form to help lessen the evidence, but his mother must have seen something, because she'd promptly sent him upstairs with a headache tablet and a large glass of water.

Ethan tried to smile -  _dear god, these people were impatient_ , he thought as the bell rang yet again - and opened the door. His half-smile faltered and he paled when he saw Zach there.

"Zach? What are you... ?" Ethan began to ask, but his words were cut off when Zach stepped forward and kissed him.

His arms wrapped around Zach seemingly of their own accord as Ethan responded to Zach's eager kiss.

"Ethan? I hope you're going to invite Zach over for lunch," his mother said, a grin tugging at her lips as she looked at them.

Pulling away quickly, both went bright red. ( _Zach was actually emitting a reddish light_ , Ethan realised hazily.) He attempted to say something, but only managed an incoherent stammer.

"Don't look so worried, Ethan," his mother said with another grin. "Of course, I wish you'd just told me you were gay instead of letting me find out like this," she added, her grin faltering. "But honestly, you showed absolutely no interest over Magenta when you were younger, and when she broke up with Zach, it was all about Zach instead of your childhood friend. I kind of guessed."

His cheeks went red again, and Ethan studiously avoided Zach's gaze. He just grinned in response, taking Ethan's hand in his own.

"So, what's for lunch, Mrs. Damsale?" Zach asked brightly.

"Please, call me Anita," she replied pleasantly, leading them out to the backyard to wait for her guests.

...

End of the nineteenth chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

"So you've finally worked things out?" Layla asked, grinning at Zach and Ethan at lunch the next day.

"Yes," Ethan said with a grin and nod.

"How'd you know?" Zach asked, frowning slightly.

He and Ethan had purposely taken seats across from each other so he'd be able to resist the temptation to kiss him. Zach didn't want to be stuffed in his locker again, and really didn't want to be ridiculed for liking boys on top of being a Sidekick.

"Because you're playing footsies under the table, and you've kicked my leg more than once," Layla said, laughing softly when Zach paled and immediately withdrew his foot.

"Sorry, Lay," he said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," she said, shrugging. A loud scream came from nearby, and Layla gave an annoyed sigh. "It's kind of noisy in here; we're going outside, okay? See you later," she said, smiling briefly as she stood and left, Warren leaving with her.

Looking at each other, Ethan and Zach shrugged and continued to eat their lunches. Beneath the table, Zach moved his foot to touch against Ethan's, a grin on his face.

...

Layla finished the C documents by the time her break started at work that evening. Her alarm went off loudly to remind her, as she was the only one left in the Mayor's office. Outside of  _The Monster_ 's room, her tray was sitting on a chair with photocopying requests that people hadn't had time for during the day.

As she was grabbing her water bottle and apple, the phone on Ms. Peace's desk began to ring. Startled, Layla went to the phone, wondering if she should answer it. She saw the number that was on the caller ID, and recognised the last few digits as Warren's house number. Picking up, she answered hesitantly, hoping she wouldn't get into trouble for this, as she hadn't been told anything about answering phones after hours.

"Oh, Layla, good, you picked up," Ms. Peace said, and Layla almost sighed in relief. "I just wanted to remind you to have your break now. How are you going with  _The Monster_?"

"It's going quite well; I've finished C now, and after my break, I planned on doing the photocopying requests. There's quite a few," she replied with a bit of a laugh, looking at the tray.

"Really? When I left earlier, there were only about ten. How many are there now?"

"Definitely more than ten, but I'm not sure about the exact number. I can check?" she offered, frowning at the large bundle of paperwork.

"No, it's fine. You go on your break now, okay? When you do the photocopying, count them as you go along and write the number on the sticky pad in my top drawer. I'll come in a bit early to make sure that no one else sees it. There really shouldn't be any more than the ten, possibly fifteen, around this time of year. If it's over that, then that needs to be addressed."

"Oh, no. I couldn't do that. It's really all right, Ms. Peace. It's just a bit of photocopying, really," Layla said in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

"Fine, but if you've got more than thirty, you will let me know, won't you? I don't want you to get an injury from too much photocopying, Layla."

An itching sensation began in her head, and she almost sighed in frustration.

"Yes, I'll let you know. I'd better go on my break now. Thank you for calling, Ms. Peace."

"You're welcome. Warren will be by to take you home later. You'll text to let me know you're home safe, won't you? And if you have a problem - anything whatsoever - you call me, okay?"

"Yes, Ms. Peace, I will."

Hanging up from the call after they'd both said farewell, Layla hurried to the staff area to sit down and finally have a drink of water. She finished her apple and water in a matter of minutes, and quickly flicked through her phone to see the photographs of the documents she'd taken earlier.

The B files had a lot of bank and financial-related documents that she didn't find particularly interesting, other than knowing where most superheroes did their banking. In the C's so far, there was another contractor (this one was for the acquisition of overseas specialty items. It was very interesting to note that The Commander had secretly requested a vat of toxic waste from the Mayor without informing Jetstream; it was the very same vat of toxic waste that Ron Wilson had fallen in late last year), and a few receipts for costume-tailors for supers, and orders of special materials that the tailors needed to make the usually-fire-resistant outfits.

Sighing, Layla returned her bottle and phone to her bag, and then picked up her heavy tray of photocopying requests. Most of the requests on the top of the pile were from Stephanie, but there were just as many from Jillian, who Layla vaguely remembered as being an empath and was seated in the same cubicle area as Stephanie.

 _That probably explained who had been trying to read her emotions after the documents had been scattered by the ceiling fan_ , Layla thought.

Going over to the photocopier, Layla frowned briefly when she saw that a small red light was flashing in the corner. Pressing the start button to spurt the machine back into life, she saw that there was a paper jam in the copier. Following the directions on the screen, she opened each compartment to find the elusive piece of jammed paper. Unable to find anything, she closed everything up again, but the red light continued to flash at her. Going through the motions again at a slower pace, turning the small wheels to hopefully move the paper out manually, again Layla found nothing. It was completely free of any jammed paper.

Remembering something similar happening to the photocopier at her mother's veterinary practice back when she'd helped over her school holidays, Layla tried to remember how her mother had fixed the problem.  _Turning it off and restarting the copier had worked that time; maybe it would this time_? Deciding that she could probably try it at the very least, Layla turned the machine off and hurried to turn it back on, watching intently for the screen to start up again. She sighed in relief when it started, and the screen stayed clear of any supposed jams. Layla began to photocopy the requests, one by one.

An hour and a half, and forty-six requests later, she had finally finished. Her eyes were bleary from all of the request forms she'd had to fill out; her arm was sore from the repetitive motion of moving and collecting both copies and originals, lifting the lid; and her finger was actually aching from pressing the start button so often.

She vaguely heard her phone ringing from her bag, and went to answer it before it rang out.

"Hippie, where the hell are you?" Warren demanded the moment she answered.

"At work. Why, where are you?" she asked with a frown, turning to actually look at the time.

It was almost past 8:30, and her shift should have finished thirty minutes ago.

"Outside waiting, like I have been for the past forty minutes. What the hell's going on? Did  _The Monster_  eat you or something? Can you open the door and let me in?"

"Yeah, I'll be right down."

Layla hung up and hurried to grab her access card before going downstairs to let Warren inside.

"You look exhausted; what happened?" he asked with a frown, seeing her heavy eyes and tired posture.

She hadn't looked this tired after school only five hours ago, and this job had never made her look  **this**  exhausted before.

"Started photocopying requests today. There were forty-six requests, yet when your mother left work, there were apparently ten, maybe fifteen. I didn't realise the time. Wait here while I get my bag," Layla said, going over to the elevator.

Before the elevator doors had even closed, Warren had already called his mother.

"Are you okay? Layla hasn't text to say she's home yet, is everything all right?" she asked within seconds of answering.

"She's still at work. Mum, there were forty-six photocopying requests. That's not normal, not unless it's election time, right?" Warren asked, his hands close to flaming in anger.

This was bullying, just a more subtle type of bullying, but either way, he hadn't expected it to come from  **adults**.

"No, it most definitely is not normal," his mother growled, sounding just as angry as he was. "Do you know who they're from? Actually, never mind that, I know who they're from. I thought it was odd that Jillian and Stephanie wanted to stay back; they're usually out of the office at six on the dot. I just didn't think they'd do something like this. Oh, those little bitches. I'll rip them apart tomorrow, this is just  **not**  acceptable. They're  _adults_ , they should be acting like it!" There was a pause before she continued, "You haven't heard me saying any of this. I could get fired for ragging on my colleagues, even after work and to my son," she muttered.

"Haven't heard a single thing; but if you need to continue, go ahead," Warren said with a brief chuckle.

The elevator doors opened with a cheery ding, but Layla didn't step forward. He frowned and moved to the elevator, only to find Layla there, her eyes closed, her chin resting on her chest as she leaned back against the wall.

"Actually, I think I might have to hang up so I can carry Layla. She's fallen asleep in the elevator. Mum, this is just  _totally_  fucked up," Warren muttered.

"Language, Warren!" she admonished immediately. "But you're right. You know what? Wait there, I'll come around and pick you both up. She's probably missed the bus by now, and the next one isn't for another hour. See if you can ring her aunt and let her know that she's staying over."

"It might be better if you do that; Layla's Great Aunt isn't my biggest fan."

"Why not? It's the leather jacket, isn't it?" she asked with a laboured sigh.

"Something like that. I'll stay inside with Layla until you get here, okay?" Warren asked, changing the subject very quickly.

Deciding that she didn't have the energy to manipulate her son's emotions to get the truth, Ms. Peace sighed in resignation, agreed that it was fine, and hung up before getting ready to go out and pick them up.

...

Layla woke up from a pleasant dream where she was lying on the beach, the sun warming her body. In her dream she didn't have to worry about sunscreen, being burnt, or breaking out in a million freckles after a few minutes in the sun. There was no annoying sand in all the wrong places, and she'd dozed off without a care. She sighed slightly, keeping her eyes closed to try and stay in the dream a moment longer.

"All right, hippie?"

Her eyes opening immediately, she sprang back from Warren quickly, wondering what had happened. Layla tried to remember what she'd done after work the night before, but didn't even remember leaving work.

"Calm down; it's okay. You're at my house. Mum called your Great Aunt and let her know that you were too exhausted to catch the bus home. I was going to set you down on the bed and sleep on the sofa - I promise I was, Mum was even itching at me to do that - but you refused to let go of my neck, so I had to stay here with you," Warren explained.

This was probably the most amount of words he'd ever spoken before 8am and before any type of caffeinated beverage in his system. Layla just looked so freaked out and concerned that he felt the need to set the record straight before she completely flipped out on him.

She seemed to relax, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Okay, then. Thanks... I'm really sorry. You didn't have to carry me again, did you?"

"Yes, but not too far. Mum picked us up from the Mayor's office last night after you fell asleep in the elevator."

Layla blinked in surprise, frowning slightly as she tried to remember it. She vaguely remembered closing her eyes to rest as the elevator made its descent from the 6th floor.

"Oh, god. That must have been awful; it's the first time your mother's been home before 7, and then she had to come pick us up because I fell asleep."

"Seriously, calm down, hippie. Mum didn't mind. It was better than trying to get you home when you were that exhausted."

She mustn't have had a very calm expression on her face because Warren rolled his eyes at her, cupped the back of her head in his palm and kissed Layla intently.

"Calmer now?" he murmured when they pulled apart a moment later.

"A bit. You might have to try again," she said with a cheeky grin.

He kissed her again immediately, his hand moving to cup her cheek instead.

"Much calmer," Layla breathed. "Oh god, I've got morning breath, don't I?" she said, wincing.

"So what? I do too; you didn't hear me complaining, did you?" Warren said, shaking his head and kissing her again.

A sharp knock at the door had them pulling apart quickly.

"Time to get up, kids! You've got to get ready for school," Ms. Peace called.

"Coming," Warren called.

"Be right out," Layla added, trying not to blush wildly.

"I'd hope so, or I'd have to turn the hose on you. Coffee's on the bench!"

"Thanks!" Warren called back, standing and pulling a towel off the hook on the back of his door. "You want the shower first, hippie?"

"I'll go in after you," she replied.

He nodded and left quickly, the prospect of freshly brewed coffee making him want to have the fastest shower in the history of showers.

When he was gone, Layla looked around for her bag, hoping that she still had her gym shirt inside it and hadn't left it for the laundry. She started when a towel and shirt were thrown onto the bed beside her. She looked up from the dark green shirt to see Warren's mother standing in the doorway, holding a large mug of coffee.

"It's an old shirt that hasn't fit for quite some time. It should fit you though, so you might as well keep it."

With that, she turned and left to get ready for work.

"Thank you!" Layla called after her.

When she tried the shirt on moments later, Layla was surprised to find a piece of cardboard digging into her back. She pulled it out to find that it was actually a price tag. Ms. Peace obviously hadn't owned nor worn the shirt if she'd never taken the tag off of it.

"Shower's free, hippie," Warren said, drying his hair haphazardly with the towel as he walked into the room. "You okay?" he asked with a frown, seeing her sitting on the bed with a shirt in her hands and tears in her eyes.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Layla said quickly, blinking rapidly. "I'll be out in a minute."

She hurried past him, the towel and shirt in her arms.

Shrugging to himself, Warren ran his fingers through his hair and went to the kitchen for some much-needed coffee.

...

"I've got this Friday off; do you want to do a study session after school?" Layla asked Ethan, Zach, and Warren at lunch.

"Fine by me; who's house do we want to go to?" Ethan asked, looking at the others.

"Not yours; it's too far from work for me. Zach's is probably closest," Warren added.

"Yeah, okay. I'll let my 'rents know tonight," Zach said with a shrug.

"Want to do another study session on the weekend too? I could probably use with the more concentrated time, since you know we're going to be watching the Save the Citizen videos on Friday," Layla said with a grin.

"That's not  _entirely_  true," Zach protested feebly. "Any idea who you're going against yet?" he asked, grinning.

"Not yet, but I've got a couple of possibilities."

"Do you want the book?" Ethan asked.

"If you've got it with you, yeah. If not, don't worry about it," she replied with a smile.

Ethan pushed his glasses up his nose and turned to his bag, pulling the book out quickly, handing it to her.

"Really, Popsicle, you've started carrying it around with you?" Warren asked with a groan.

"Why wouldn't I? I still get asked about competing against you two, and it's easier to have it with me than try to remember details when I get back to my locker. Besides, by carrying it around with me, I can keep the book from falling in the wrong hands. A lot of people could use that book for nefarious purposes, you know."

"Oh, really? Like who?" Layla asked.

Zach, who had been drinking while Ethan was talking, promptly choked on his water. Warren hid his grin and smacked him on the back.

"Well, I don't know... I mean, if you were asking me this time last year, I probably would have said Warren," Ethan said with a shrug.

"Got a problem with me, Popsicle?" Warren growled.

He  _eeped_  in response, quickly shaking his head.

"He's just joking, Eth. Don't look so worried," Zach said, grinning at him.

"I knew that," he replied, adjusting his shirt collar.

"We're going to have to work on that fear of yours, you know," Zach muttered, frowning at Ethan briefly.

"I'm not afraid! Well, not always. And it's not like you don't get scared either," he muttered, stabbing at his food with his fork.

"Oh, I know that. But I also don't tremble like a leaf when Warren threatens me. I can tell the difference between him being angry and him trying to be intimidating."

" _Trying_?" Warren growled angrily. "My intimidation skills worked  _fine_  before you lot came along."

"See, he started off being angry, and then he's just reduced to a pouty ball of flames because Layla's sitting next to him and making sure he won't roast us alive," Zach said, patting Ethan's hand and grinning at him. "If you're going to roast anyone, I've got a list of people who can go first."

"Do you now?" Layla asked, smirking.

"Yep, and it has more than the usual two people on it," he replied, sounding proud.

Warren chuckled. "Congratulations, glow stick."

"I'd like to see that list one day," Layla said with a grin.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Zach said, laughing.

Ethan frowned briefly, wondering if they really were joking.  _Their tones weren't serious, not really, but what they were saying... It wasn't the sort of thing super heroes would say, was it_?

"Are you still all right to record the Save the Citizen games on Friday, Ethan?" Layla asked suddenly, looking at him.

He nodded in response, and as he was drawn back into the conversation, Ethan couldn't help but wonder if she'd changed the subject on purpose.

...

Layla was extremely grateful when the clock chimed six that evening. Apparently, the Mayor had called a mandatory meeting that morning and spent almost two hours lecturing everyone about work ethics, working as a team, and stated in no uncertain terms that bullying of any kind was not to be tolerated.

From the moment she'd walked into the Mayor's office, Layla had felt a sensation of pressure in her head. It wasn't the itching that accompanied Ms. Peace's power, and as she saw Jillian watching her intently, she figured that the empath was attempting to read her emotions. She was confused at the action, briefly wondering if Jillian and Stephanie expected her to be upset or overwhelmed at their little juvenile trick from the night before.

When Ms. Peace had seen her, she'd quickly explained what had happened, and added for Layla not to worry about anything as she was staying late that night to ensure the same thing didn't happen with the photocopying.

On discovering that they wouldn't be alone in the office, the amount of work Jillian and Stephanie had complained about suddenly disappeared, and they'd left at quarter to six. Warren's mother had waited another fifteen minutes to make sure they wouldn't return, and then left for her home gratefully after her busy day.

Sighing to herself, Layla decided to eat while continuing to work on  _The Monster_. She didn't want to leave the room if there was a chance Stephanie and Jillian might be around to ruin her hard work again.

The rest of the evening went by without a hitch. She spoke to the security guard that patrolled the office, photocopied the ten requests from her tray and left the copies on her colleagues' desks, and by the time eight o'clock rolled around, Layla had finished sorting the E documents. (Electricity statements, electoral addresses, and a few pages about energy reducing and saving opportunities that probably hadn't been looked at since they were given to the Mayor.)

After ensuring that everything was secured with paper weights, the fan was off, and the drawers to  _The Monster_  were closed, Layla left the small office and locked the door behind her.

Warren had sent her a quick text after her evening break to let her know he wouldn't be able to take her home that night, as there was a large clean up scheduled for all staff to participate in. The health inspector was making the rounds later that week, and they needed to make sure everything was sparkling. Warren added for her to text him the moment she arrived at the house safely. Shaking her head at his over protective nature, Layla shouldered her bag and left, waving goodbye to the security guard on her way out.

Half an hour later, Layla walked into her Great Aunt's house, and was surprised to find that her relative was still awake. Ever since returning from the hospital, her Great Aunt had made it a point to be asleep before Layla returned from work.

Greta was on the phone to Frieda, and seemed to be in the middle of a very long complaint about something. As she closed and locked the door, Layla listened to the conversation in curiosity.

"I still can't believe it. Someone won the second division prize. One person! They didn't even have to share it like those poor bastards who won a thousand dollars between twenty people!" There was a pause in the conversation before her Great Aunt continued. "No, of course it wasn't me. I haven't played lotto since everyone in that syndicate screwed me over... Oh, stop lecturing me about my language, Frieda. I'm old enough to say whatever the hell I want."

Stopping at the lounge room door, Layla knocked on the door. Her Great Aunt spun around in surprise.

"Don't do that, girl! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry. I just wanted to let you know I was home. Have you had dinner yet?" Layla asked politely.

"It's past eight-thirty; of course I bloody well have!"

"Is there anything left over for me?"

"No, why would I bother making dinner for you?" Greta's face reddened slightly when Frieda started berating her loudly on the phone, and she glowered over at Layla. "Oh, do shut up Frieda. I meant that she won't eat anything I make! Of course it's got meat in it; I have to get proteins somehow! I refuse to take those bloody vitamins the doctor keeps trying to get me to swallow!"

Layla went to the kitchen to make something for herself. Cooking up lentils, vegetables, and a handful of pasta, Layla separated the cooked combination into two bowls so she'd have enough for lunch the next day. She could ask Warren to heat it up for her. Thinking of Warren made her remember that she'd meant to text him, and she hurried to do so before he called in worry.

Sitting at the kitchen bench, Layla ate her dinner, her mind thinking of the documents she'd taken photos of that evening, the assignments she still had to work on, and the opponents she planned on choosing for Save the Citizen the next day.

Frowning slightly when she realised exactly what her Great Aunt's first complaint had been about, Layla turned on the television to try and find the results for the lottery.

...

End of the twentieth chapter.


	21. Chapter 21

"Before you tell me  _why_  you're looking like the cat who got the cream, please tell me you have some sort of caffeinated beverage in your bag," Warren muttered, flopping onto the bus seat beside her, closing his eyes against the glare of the sun.

"I made hot chocolate to have with breakfast before I realised I was running late," Layla said, offering him the thermos she was holding.

"Better than nothing. Thanks, hippie," he said briefly, waiting until the driver had pulled over at the next bus stop before pouring a small amount into the lid.

While the driver was getting better, and could now drive without making them feel as though they were on the world's bumpiest roller coaster, there were still times when he relapsed and hit a pothole. Warren still maintained he did it on purpose, just so the students wouldn't get placated.

When he finished drinking the hot chocolate in the lid, Warren handed it back. He frowned slightly, seeing that she was practically bouncing in her seat.

"What the hell was in your hot chocolate, hippie?" he muttered, planning on closing his eyes until they landed at Sky High.

Warren was surprised when he felt Layla sidle up to him, her body pressing against his in ways that warmed him more than the hot chocolate ever could.  _Well, if she wanted to make out, who was he to deny her_?

"We won," Layla whispered.

 _Okay, no making out then... Wait, won? Won what_?

Opening his eyes, he looked at her in confusion. Layla's grin just seemed to get even bigger, and it took Warren a moment to realise exactly what they'd entered in to win in the first place.

"You mean... The numbers?" he asked, his jaw hanging open in shock.

Layla nodded, bouncing in the seat again, her excitement almost vibrating out of her in waves.

"What... How... When... How much?" Warren faltered, trying to decide on what he wanted to know the most.

"Last weekend. Second division. $91,010," she murmured, grinning.

The bus dropped off the edge of the freeway - neither of them had heard the exhausts turn to the rocket-fuelled ones - and they both yelped in surprise. Warren overcame his surprise first and pulled her close to him, his mouth at her ear.

"Tell me," he said, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"We missed the division one prize by  _one_  number. We won the second division. They're looking for the winner, so we'll need to hand in the ticket to claim the money," she added. " _Ninety-one thousand and ten dollars_. We  _won_ , Warren," Layla said, grinning at him again.

Warren grinned back at her, pulling Layla to him and kissing her intently. When he pulled away, both of their lips were swollen, and neither one could stop grinning.

...

"So how much did you win?" Craig asked with a grin as he looked down at Layla from his taller carbon copy.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Layla replied with a broad grin.

Her grin slipped when he chuckled and looked away from her. She had no idea how she could stop Craig from knowing how much she and Warren had won, nor how she could keep him from talking about it. If she threatened him, it could come back to bite her, especially in the middle of a non-super store.

Craig handed the lottery slip to the young woman behind the counter, giving her a broad grin. "I'd like to check the results for this, thanks."

Suddenly, Craig's phone started to ring, a loud noise that no one could ignore. He reddened briefly and hurried to answer it. He walked away quickly, indicating to Layla to deal with the lottery ticket.

Relieved, and hurrying to hide the feeling, Layla stepped forward and smiled at the cashier, as if indulging the request of a scatter-brained father. She received a brief grin in return, and then the machine made a loud beeping noise. Layla quickly looked to see where Craig was. He'd left to stand just outside of the store, his signal reception too low to hear the caller properly. Craig was engrossed in the phone call, and didn't seem to hear the loud noise.

"Oh, wow. Your dad just got  **rich** ," the cashier said, her eyes wide. "Congratulations... Uh, you're gonna have to collect this at the lottery claim centre; it's way too big a prize for us to give out, y'know," she added.

"Wow; I'll tell him right away. Thank you so much!" Layla gushed, taking the ticket back.

"Is your dad single?" the cashier asked, grinning at her.

"Happily married. Thanks for asking," Layla said, wondering whether she was serious or joking.

She left before the woman attempted to say anything else, going outside to where Craig had left to get a better signal.

"Win anything?" he asked, pushing off the wall and adjusting his cap.

"Not a thing," Layla replied, shaking her head.

"Ah well. Maybe next time. Y'know, when you're actually legally allowed to gamble," Craig said, chuckling.

"Maybe. Thanks for doing this for me, Craig. Mum used to play those numbers, and I guess I wanted something as a reminder of her..."

Craig nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Well, I've got to get to work now. I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

"Yeah, sure. Have a good one," Craig called, taking her opening and leaving quickly.

Layla left for work, intent on arriving at the Mayor's office early in order to text Warren and let him know not to shave for a few days. They'd go to the claim centre that weekend before his shift at  _The Paper Lantern_.

...

"All right, hot head, flower girl. Heroes or villains, and who do you choose?" Boomer asked, looking down at Layla and Warren from his seat high in the gallery.

The days had passed quickly, and Friday was almost over. Layla had been running late that morning, forgot that she'd organised a study session at Zach's house, and after school, she'd have to go back to her Great Aunt's house in order to get her assignments to work on. She was glad it was a Friday, and just wanted the day to be over as soon as possible. Even the knowledge of playing Save the Citizen later that afternoon hadn't made the day go by any faster.

"Heroes. I choose Wendy Walker," Layla called.

"I pick Ethan Damsale," Warren said, smirking briefly.

There was a rumble of noise through the crowd. Not only was it a deliberate barb to choose a sidekick that they'd already beaten before, but to put him with a Hero who couldn't even utilise his power was adding insult to the injury.

"All right," Boomer said, frowning slightly as he ticked off their names. "Walker, Damsale! Get your gear on and get ready!"

Ethan handed his phone to Zach and hurried to the change room as fast as he could, not wanting to upset Coach Boomer. Wendy didn't seem as fussed about the coach's feelings, and strolled down to the girl's change room.

"You sure the Popsicle's all right with this?" Warren asked Layla for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"He's fine. Just keep him preoccupied while I deal with Walker, okay?"

"Just be careful, all right? Walker's not known for her calm and reasonable temperament," he muttered.

"I'm planning on that, actually," Layla replied with a grin.

"All right, teams. You've got a minute to discuss strategies. Go!" Boomer called.

Wendy glared at Ethan. "Are you going to do anything other than melt in fear the moment one of them gets too close?"

"P-probably not," Ethan squeaked in fear at her harsh tone.

"At least you're honest about it... Fine, just stay out of the way. I'll try not to fry you with a lightning bolt. No promises though," she added with a cruel smirk.

He  _eeped_  in response, and nodded quickly, stepping back from her.

"Time's up! Get ready to fight in three ... two ... one ... GO!" Coach Boomer boomed loudly, starting the clock and pressing the button for the citizen to start descending.

Before Wendy or Ethan could even take a step forward, Warren threw a fireball directly at Ethan, and he melted quickly to avoid being barbecued. The fireball landed short, while Warren's next three landed off as well. The four fireballs combined to create a circle around Ethan's melted form, trapping him. Taking the flames higher so Ethan couldn't escape as he did last time, Warren concentrated on keeping them that size.

Wendy sighed in annoyance at the lame sidekick she'd been partnered with, and focused her attention on Layla. There was just enough moisture in the air for her to create a cloud, and she made it as heavy as she could without depriving the student population of their required water. A few water bottles became empty when the atmosphere became hotter, and soon, the cloud Wendy had created was heavy enough to cause rain. She worked on making the atmosphere colder now, half of her concentration on keeping the cloud in the air. The hot and cool atmosphere's combined, striking at each other and beginning to create lightning.

Meanwhile, Layla was creating a forest of vines and trees from the floorboards. She made the trees tall in order to protect herself, Warren, and the citizen against Wendy's oncoming storm. Walking between the trees, Layla made it to the citizen. Due to the height of her trees, no one could see what was happening in the arena, not even Coach Boomer. A vine trailed along the ground, moving to take Wendy, wrapping around her tightly and a leaf covering her mouth to stop her scream. If anyone in the crowd had seen the move, they would have presumed that Layla was simply distracting Wendy from the storm she was creating.

Wendy opened her eyes to find herself staring at the citizen, who was whole and sitting in front of her innocently. A leaf was wrapped around its mouth in order to stop it from talking.

"We've already won. In less time than it took for you to make a storm cloud, I might add. Let off a bolt or two if it'll make you feel better," Layla offered.

Three bolts hits various parts of the forest, the trees starting to burn. Warren stopped the fires easily in a matter of seconds. Layla let the leaf move from Wendy's mouth, seeing that she had something to say.

"What do you want from me?" she hissed.

"I want to offer you the chance to beat Stronghold," Layla replied calmly.

From outside of the forest, they could hear the students chanting, counting down the last minute loudly and eagerly. There wasn't much else for them to do since they couldn't see what was going on in the arena.

"W-what?" Wendy echoed in shock.

"You win here, you beat Stronghold in the next game. Fairly simple, really. You'll even get to choose your own sidekick, since Ethan won't be able to play after this," Layla added.

"What do you want in return?" Wendy asked suspiciously, not stupid enough to think there wouldn't be some sort of catch.

"When the time's right, we'll find you," Layla replied, shrugging.

Wendy frowned slightly. It sounded awfully similar to the conversations she'd overheard Penny and Gwen -  _no, not Gwen,_ ** _Royal Pain_** , she reminded herself harshly - talking about the year before. But she'd never been a part of those conversations, had never been asked, even though she'd heard it all. Despite leaving the little group to their own devices, sure that they'd be caught, she hadn't told on them.  _Gwen had never seen that as something to be rewarded_...

Even so, there was something different about Layla. Not just the fact that she was planning something that didn't involve the word 'I' all the time, but rather 'us', something which was unheard of in the villainous community. Layla seemed as though she could do what Royal Pain had never succeeded in completing. She wasn't bent on a vain plan of revenge that had been boiling for years beneath the surface, but there was something there, something that seemed to be hiding just how dark she really was becoming. Wendy was surprised she hadn't seen it before.

The shouts from the audience became louder; they were in the last ten seconds of the game.

"It's your choice, Wendy. You can get your revenge on Stronghold with one simple word," Layla offered.

Wendy looked away from her briefly. The citizen seemed to be mocking her, lifeless and unblinking eyes telling her that the three letter word had never been this hard to say before.

"Yes."

A crack of lightning accompanied her word, a few surprised screams following it. A second passed, and a loud mulching sound was heard. It was so loud that it overtook the students' chanting, and silence fell as the forest subsided. When the trees disappeared entirely, Wendy and Layla were revealed. Wendy was standing above an unconscious Layla, burn marks littering the redhead's body. A lightning bolt seemed to have hit a nearby tree and affected the creator just as badly. Half of the citizen was still sticking out of the metal teeth, but it was more than obvious who had won the game.

The crowd was silent for a long moment, and then a smattering of applause started, even as Nurse Spex made her way into the arena. She looked at Wendy's body, commenting on the thorns and bruises she'd received from Layla's vines.

"I'll play with them, thanks," Wendy said, standing up straighter and biting back a wince of pain.

"Very well. Come to me after school though; you don't want to leave those thorns untreated."

Wendy gave Nurse Spex a curt nod. Warren was carrying Ethan over, his arm around his shoulders as the younger boy dragged his feet along the floor, too exhausted from being in his melted form to walk on his own. From the stands, Zach hurried to join them and took Ethan from Warren so the older boy could carry Layla out.

"All three of you had best come with me," Nurse Spex clucked.

Boomer looked annoyed at yet another victor needing to go to the nurse's office, but waved them out of his arena and pressed the button to put the new citizen above the metal teeth. He might've liked the style of the hot head and flower child, but they'd been beaten, and he had a new game to referee.

...

Warren waited in the foyer of the house while Layla hurried upstairs to get her work. She kept her footsteps quiet, not wanting to wake her Great Aunt if she was asleep, as she hadn't seen any sign of her in the downstairs area. Layla hadn't had the chance to tell Greta that she wouldn't be working that night. In fact, they'd barely said two words to each other in as many days, and Layla was too stubborn to be the first to break the silence.

Hearing a loud moan, Layla frowned in confusion. She wondered if her Great Aunt was in pain, and hadn't been able to call anyone for help. It was a common thing to happen to old people, apparently. A desire to see her in pain flowed through her, the vines beneath her skin rippling in pleasure at the very thought. Making her way down the hallway softly, Layla peeked into Greta's bedroom where the noise had come from. Her eyes widened and she hurried to step back, intent on keeping her footsteps even quieter than before.

 _Okay, she_ ** _definitely_** _wasn't in pain_ , Layla concluded, feeling disgusted at what she'd just witnessed. Then her disgust dissipated, and she frowned. Layla was sure that she'd seen that man's face before. She'd never met him, she knew that, but she had seen him  _somewhere_.

 _On T.V.? A poster, billboard, magazine? Maybe a photograph_? That one prompted her memory, and Layla almost gasped out loud.

 _The man who was in there with her Great Aunt was Henry Olgestein, the soon-to-be ex-husband of Frieda. Frieda, who was Greta's_ ** _best friend_**.

Despite the mental trauma, the blackmail opportunity was too good to resist. Layla quickly got her phone out of her pocket, and switched the camera on to record. She then used a vine to move the phone towards the door and film what was happening inside. A few more moans occurred, these ones involving names, and she winced.

 _Principal Powers had wanted her to attend counselling sessions after her mother's death - well, now she definitely had something to be counselled about_! she thought with a horrified shudder.

Remembering that Warren was still downstairs, Layla pulled her phone back to her, the vine disappearing. She went to her room to get her work, leaving as quickly and quietly as possible. Putting her finger to her lips when she saw Warren, she ignored his questioning look, and they left the house. Shutting the door behind them quietly, Layla took his hand, basically pulling him up the street. It was only when they were at the bus stop that she explained.

"My Great Aunt was in there ... doing  _stuff_  with Henry Olgestein," she said, shuddering.

"Olgestein, as in Frieda?"

She nodded. "Her soon-to-be ex-husband. Greta kept saying how many times he cheated on Frieda; I didn't think she knew from personal experience."

"I'm surprised you weren't out of there like a shot. What took you so long?"

"I recorded it for blackmail, of course."

"Of course," he said, chuckling. "I have no desire to see that video," Warren added quickly when she pulled out her phone.

"Don't worry; I'm just emailing it to myself. I don't want this to be the only copy if my phone gets mysteriously smashed," Layla muttered, her voice little more than a growl.

"Good idea," he agreed with a nod. "Any plans on how you're going to blackmail them?"

"A few," she admitted, her bright smile a startling contrast to their conversation. "Would you help me?"

"Of course." Warren didn't hesitate with his answer, didn't need to think about the consequences, or even know the particulars of what she wanted before agreeing.

Layla kissed him intently, and he felt his vine mark around his wrist start to ache in response. Despite having his eyes closed, Warren was certain that Layla's eyes would be bright green at that moment. He couldn't find it within himself to care, and kissed her back passionately, his lips curving into a grin.

...

That afternoon, when the study session was done, Layla asked Warren's mother if she could stay over for the night. She was given permission to do so, so long as she and Warren slept in separate rooms. Ms. Peace was too tired after her day of team building with her colleagues to even give them a manipulative push in their minds to obey her. She went to bed an hour after dinner, her feet dragging.

Layla text her Great Aunt to let her know that she wouldn't be home that night. She added that she'd be staying over at a friends, and not to expect her until late Saturday afternoon.

"All right, now that that's done, care to share your plans, hippie?" Warren asked, looking at her from across the table.

They'd started studying after dinner while Warren's mother watched TV in a futile attempt to stay awake. As Layla had predicted, most of their time at Zach's had been spent watching the Save the Citizen videos. Zach had organised for the girl who turned into a ball (Layla vaguely remembered him referring to her as Gail) to record the fight between Stronghold and Wendy.

The fight had been surprisingly short, with Stronghold attempting to fly out of Wendy's range, which really was a ridiculous thing to attempt inside of an enclosed building against a person who could manipulate the weather. The smaller fight between their sidekicks - Magenta for Will, and Paul, the human hose, for Wendy - was no contest. Paul almost drowned the guinea pig form Magenta took, and his water had caught up in the cyclone Wendy had created, turning it into a wet cyclone that drenched the opposition. Both Will and Magenta had left the arena sneezing and shivering, so it was highly doubtful that they'd be at school come Monday morning. Despite the short fight, they had watched it five times in a row before Ethan had prompted them to do homework.

Warren had been extremely patient waiting to hear the blackmail plans Layla had thought of, but now he was close to going up in flames if he didn't find out very damn soon. With a grin and a flash of green in her eyes, Layla detailed her plans.

...

Henry walked down the carpeted hallway, a spring in his step. His divorce with Frieda was almost finalised, and despite the setup that she thought would win her case, it hadn't worked out. Henry had been warned of Frieda's plans, and despite the very attractive blonde that he'd been going to see, he had enough sense to realise that it wasn't one of Greta's jealous stints and spent the night at a friend's instead.

His infidelity was Frieda's fault, of course. He wouldn't have even looked at Greta (or the numerous other women) if Freida hadn't been such a whining and irritating cow. Henry shook his head and told himself to focus on the fact that he would be keeping his money and he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and without stupid, annoying Frieda in tow.

"Hello Henry," a pleasant voice said as he entered the kitchen.

Henry was so preoccupied that he replied before he realised that Greta was still upstairs and they were the only two in the house. His head whipped to where a redheaded girl was seated at the kitchen counter, a mug in her hands and a phone beside her.

"Who are you? How'd you get in here?" Henry asked, his voice raising.

"Don't bother trying to warn Greta that someone else is here; she's being brought down right now," Layla said.

As if on cue, Greta tumbled through the kitchen door, a towering teen following her calmly, streaks of fire burning through his hair. Henry shook his head and saw that the flames were just streaks of red, and dismissed his previous thought as a trick of the light.

"Layla? What the fuck is going on here? You little bit-" Greta didn't get to finish her sentence, a vine slithering up from the ground and wrapping around her mouth firmly.

Henry yelped in fear and tried to back away, but another vine rose out of nowhere and wrapped around his torso. He whimpered in pain when he felt thorns digging into his body.

"Don't be in such a hurry to rush off, Henry. We haven't even been introduced yet. I'm Layla, Greta's great niece. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'd be lying," she said with a brief and mocking smile. "Now, I want you both to listen. That means focusing your attention on my words and being quiet. Do you think you can do that?"

Both Henry and Greta nodded briefly, the first trembling in fear while the latter simply glowered.  _The moment they were let go, Layla wouldn't know what hit her_. She would be going to that boarding school, and if she was lucky, Greta  _wouldn't_  press charges and send her to gaol for the rest of her life.  _The little bitch had no idea who she was dealing with_!

"Good. What I have to say is very important, and I know you'll want to hear it," Layla said calmly, setting her mug down and picking up her phone.

A few seconds later, moans filled the kitchen. Greta's eyes widened, wondering just what sick thing Layla was making them listen to. Then she heard her own name, and recognised Henry's voice. The phone was brought closer until she could see the clear picture of Henry and her own face in the video. She struggled against the vine, her shouts muffled by the thick leaf. Feeling an intense heat beside her, Greta stilled when she saw the flaming fist that was only inches away from her. The expression on Warren's face was terrifying, and Greta whimpered when the vine made her face Layla once more. Somehow, the girl's expression was even worse.

"I said for you to be quiet. If you keep making noise, you will be hurt. Is that understood?"

Greta nodded briefly. The video continued to play; Henry was actually sobbing by the time it ended, and Greta was too terrified to do more than tremble. Beneath her fear, she wondered if she could still get away with sending Layla away to boarding school.

"Now, I am aware of the divorce you are currently going through, Mr. Olgestein. This video could be very damning evidence, and I can upload it to the Internet in less than five seconds. I also have a copy to send to both your lawyer and Frieda's. You will both be ruined socially as well as financially. Are you willing to risk that?" Layla asked, looking between them.

Henry was the first to crack and shook his head quickly. He wasn't stupid; he knew that his wealth was the main reason women threw themselves at him. If that video went to the lawyers, he would be left with next to nothing.

Greta took a moment longer to agree. She had her own wealth, and while that wasn't at risk, her social status was. She may have loathed most of her so-called friends, but she knew how they operated. Frieda would be the one who would be victimised by all this, and in their friends eyes, Greta would be to blame. No matter how much money she had, she would be the one who hurt Frieda in their eyes - not Henry. Nearly all of their friends were the Chairperson (or the wives of the Chairperson) for nearly every Board and committee that ran the decent events in both Maxville and Westville. She could kiss goodbye any chance she had of being invited to a simple luncheon again, let alone a high-class social function. She might as well donate everything to a charity and plan her funeral. Greta shuddered at the prospect, and finally, shook her head.

"Good. Now, sit down and we'll discuss what I want in return for my silence."

The vines didn't disappear as Greta thought they would. Instead, they changed their shape until they were formed like chairs, their bodies forced in to seated positions.

"Henry, you will give Frieda the amount of money she wants in your divorce settlement. It's better than losing all of it," Layla added when he attempted to protest. When he quietened, she continued, "Greta, when I finish my education at Sky High, you will pay the rent for any place I choose to live in, and if I decide to continue my education, you will also pay for that. Until the time I leave, you are to be pleasant to me. If you are unable to manage that, then you are to leave me alone at all costs."

Layla took a moment to look at each of them. Henry still looked terrified, obviously this was his first encounter with a super-powered person; Greta looked slightly scared, but there was an intense hatred simmering beneath the fear that made Layla think she wouldn't hold to the bargain, even if she agreed.

"Do you agree to my terms?"

Warren moved to stand beside her, his arms flaming fiercely as he glared at them. She smiled briefly and took his hand in her own, the flames licking at her skin and her fire brand on her wrist spinning.

Henry nodded quickly, and after another long moment of silence, Greta nodded reluctantly.

"Trust me, my silence is not as costly as what will happen when this information is provided to the local media and your lawyer. Believe me when I say that I will know the precise moment you attempt to go back on this, no matter where you are," Layla added, the vines tightening.

Henry and Greta's screams were ripped from their throats as the vines thorns burrowed into and beneath their skin, feeling every inch like individual needles burning in their bloodstream.

Layla simply smiled and watched as their pain drove them to unconsciousness. When they both slumped forward, Warren let the flames disappear from his arms, and he turned to look at Layla. Surprisingly, her eyes were brown, but her veins and arteries were all bright green, giving her skin an ethereal look.

"All right, hippie?"

"Perfect," she breathed, smiling at him. "You?"

"Fine. Didn't really do much," he replied with a shrug.

"Don't worry, you will do so much more later," Layla murmured, rising on her toes to kiss him eagerly.

Warren kissed her back, closing his eyes to the sight of the two unconscious people behind Layla.

...

End of chapter twenty-one.


	22. Chapter 22

Warren resisted the urge to scratch his face. He couldn't even hold Layla's hand to distract him from the itching sensation. With the way they were both dressed, he'd look like the world's biggest cradle robber. She'd put her hair in pigtails and was wearing a bright yellow shirt beneath denim overalls, looking much younger than her 16 years. At her insistence, he'd dressed in a pair of jeans and a suit shirt, a tie loose around his neck. He hadn't shaved for the last three days, and his lack of sleep had made the bags under his eyes darker, both combining to make him look closer to thirty than his actual teenage years. The stubble was itching like crazy though, and Warren couldn't wait to leave so he could find the closest possible razor to take to his face.

"Good morning, welcome to the lottery claim centre. How can I help you?" a young woman asked pleasantly, smiling at them brightly.

"I won a division prize for the lottery that I'd like to claim," Warren replied.

"Of course; do you have your ticket with you?"

He nodded, fishing his wallet from his pocket quickly and handing her the small piece of paper. A few bells and whistles sounded after she scanned the ticket in the machine, and she smiled at him a bit brighter.

"Congratulations on your win, sir. If you'll follow me, there's just a small amount of paperwork for you to fill out before you can collect this amount of money," she said, leaving the counter.

Warren and Layla followed her, neither able to stop from smiling at the prospect that they were about to become very rich.

The paperwork was fairly standard, telling Warren exactly how much he had won, the tax requirements on the money, asking whether he wanted his name printed in the newspaper regarding his win (he ticked  _no,_  of course, knowing that was a sure-fire way to get stalked and/or robbed), and his contact details. The money would be transferred to an account of his choice, and Warren wrote down the details that Layla had provided to him earlier. It was her own bank account, the same one that the money from selling her house had gone in to. The moment the money was in the account, she would halve it with him. Layla planned on splitting her own half in to several different bank accounts in order to gain more interest.

Once everything was signed, they left the claim centre again. The woman looked after the man and assumed step-daughter, pleased that they seemed to be genuinely happy to receive the money. So many people came in, acting as if they'd expected nothing less than what they'd won, while others she knew would spend it frivolously. But it wasn't her job to judge them, so she returned to her job without another thought for the two that had just left the building.

...

Warren and Layla boarded the bus silently, but he could see that she was barely holding on to her excitement. She undid her pigtails, pulling her hair back into a rough bun. Warren grinned when she pulled him to her by his tie, kissing him fiercely, and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tighter.

"Hmm, you really need to shave that. It scratches," Layla murmured, caressing his cheek with a brief frown.

"Believe me, I know. I can't wait to shave the damned thing off," he added, stroking the stubble in distaste.

"Bet you can't wait to get back in to your normal pants either," Layla said with a grin, her gaze travelling down.

Warren saw the way her eyes darkened, the slight gasp of breath she took in appreciation, and grinned.  _Maybe he'd keep the jeans for another time_.

They were silent as they walked from the bus stop to his house, and when they were both certain that the house was empty and Ms. Peace had gone out for the day, Layla made a loud noise of excitement and joy. She kissed Warren so eagerly that he lost his footing, and they ended up on the floor, her body straddling his.

Warren closed his eyes tightly as she kissed him, trying to keep some semblance of control. Pulling away, Layla stayed straddling his waist as she watched his battle for control flit across his face. She grinned to herself at the sight, kissing him chastely once more and standing up. Warren opened his eyes to look up at her in confusion.

"You were waging a battle big enough for both of us, so I made the decision for you. If I can use your computer while you're shaving, I'll transfer the money over for you if it's in there already," Layla said, smiling.

Warren sat up with a nod, feeling a mix between relieved and disappointed. He knew that the moment he was alone, he'd be thinking of her body pressed against him, the heat between her legs pressing up against him and setting his whole body aflame with need. Hell, Warren doubted that he'd even need to get angry to power up for the rest of the month.

"Come on, you've got to go to work soon," Layla called from down the hall.

Warren hurried to go after her, turning on the computer and Internet modem before leaving for the bathroom.

The money hadn't been transferred immediately, but Layla hadn't truly expected it to be. Instead, she went to a few different bank websites and created some new accounts so she could put her money in it when it arrived.

Layla cleared her Internet history, not liking the idea of someone finding her searches. She knew that Warren wouldn't say anything about the banks she had chosen - she trusted him - but identity theft was always in the realm of possibility, especially with so many technologically-able supers and telepaths in Maxville.

Warren opened his bedroom door, Layla automatically looking over at the sudden motion. Her mouth went dry when she saw that he was only in a towel, and she licked her lips.

"Fuck, Layla, you can't  _do_  that," Warren groaned.

"Do what?" she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Look like that, especially when you're looking at me like that. Do you have any idea what it does to me?"

Layla wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about, but she figured that he was just as affected by her as she was by him. Smiling, she stood, kissed his cheek, and left Warren's room with a happy hum, leaving him slightly bewildered by her actions.

...

Greta muttered under her breath angrily as she diced the chicken breast for her own dinner.  _Layla had gone too far_. Henry had woken up and all but run out of the house, never mind that he was wearing nothing but a bathrobe. He wouldn't return her calls, and refused to pick up his things. Greta was of half the mind to dump them off at Frieda's front step, just to rub salt in the stupid man's wounds. He was stupid enough to be afraid of a  _teenage girl_.

 _How pathetic_ , Greta thought to herself in disgust.  _She'd gone through the exact same treatment as Henry, but you didn't see her running away like the hounds of Hell were after her_!

Returning to her muttering, Greta moved onto the carrots, chopping up the vegetable sharply.  _If she had her way, Layla would be on the next bus to the super boarding school on the other side of the country_.

A sharp piercing sensation began to cover her body. Greta howled in pain as phantom thorns dug into her skin, burrowing into her bones, wave after wave of pain flowing over her as she started to scream louder. The pain lessened after a few minutes, and Greta leaned on the bench, panting heavily.

 _What on earth had Layla done to her_?

...

Finishing the last of the files in  _The Monster_ , even with the extra documents that had been put in her tray, Layla stood up and stretched her aching limbs. Seeing that it was almost 8 o'clock, she packed her things ready to leave, and wrote a note for Ms. Peace stating that she'd finished organising  _The Monster_.

She had spent most of the afternoon photocopying the documents requested by people in the office - far less than the forty-six Layla had been given a few weeks ago; apparently, due to that act, both Stephanie and Jillian were under professional review due to their bullying.

Layla hadn't been the only one subjected to their bullying, but the Mayor hadn't noticed until the incident with the photocopying requests had been brought to his attention. An employee collapsing due to overexertion at work didn't sit well with the Mayor; he loathed the idea of spending money for compensation because of a bully. Stephanie was no longer the Mayor's favourite, and this set everyone on edge, unsure of what would happen next.

As it was a Monday night, Warren was meeting her to escort her home, and Layla lingered in the foyer to talk with the security guard before he did his rounds of the building. Dave seemed surprised that she was actually interested in anything he was saying, but talked at length about his job and the things he'd seen over the years of working for whichever Mayor was in office.

A knock at the door had Dave starting in surprise, but Layla simply reassured the man that it was her boyfriend come to pick her up. He nodded in understanding and let Warren inside out of the cold. Warren thanked him with a nod, and looked to Layla.

"Ready to go, hippie?"

"Sure. Thanks for the chat, Dave. See you tomorrow," Layla said with a smile.

The moment she was close enough, Warren took hold of her hand. Surprised at the uncharacteristic motion from him, she let a wave of power roll down her arm to the brand on her wrist. The flames recognised that Warren was actually Warren and flared up in pain. Layla hurried to control her breathing so she wouldn't cry out, and swiping her card at the door, she left with Warren.

They were both silent as they walked to the bus stop, but Layla could feel waves of emotion rolling off Warren as clear as if they were flames themselves.

"What the hell was that about, hippie?" Warren asked in a growl when they'd stopped.

"I wasn't sure it was you; you're never the first to hold hands," Layla pointed out.

"Well, it fucking hurt," he muttered, pulling his leather cuff off to look at his wrist.

Blood was seeping from numerous holes, all in the exact place where the thorns were on the branded vine.

Layla winced slightly, but couldn't feel too remorseful for what she'd done. "Why'd you go and hold my hand anyway?"

Even though he was still looking down at his wrist, Layla could see that her question had made his cheeks turn red.

"I wanted to touch you," Warren admitted, sounding pained at the verbal confession.

She laughed, and he scowled at her, pulling her against him.

" _Why_  are you laughing?" he growled, moving to kiss and nip at her neck.

"Because you, Mr. Scorch-Anyone-Who-Holds-My-Hand, wanted to hold my hand, and I hurt you instead! Not nice to be hurt when you're holding someone's hand, is it?" Layla asked, still laughing.

"Stop. Laughing," Warren murmured against her skin, kissing her between his words.

His words had little influence, and she continued to laugh, her arms around his neck loosely. "Oh, the bus is here. Coming?"

Muttering something under his breath that Layla didn't quite catch, she just grinned at him over her shoulder and stepped onto the bus. Warren adjusted his jacket briefly and followed her on board.

...

It had become a habit over the past few days for Layla to immediately checked her bank account upon waking up. Despite knowing that she had a larger amount of money in a trust fund from the sale of her mother's house, the sight of seeing over $91,000 in her bank account made Layla feel very lightheaded. As promised, she transferred half to Warren, taking a moment to look at the remaining amount of $45,505. Knowing that she would have to be very careful about transferring her money to the separate accounts, Layla logged out of her account and hurried to get ready for school.

When Warren boarded the bus an hour later, she could tell that he already knew about the money. He was scowling, but she could see his mouth twitching briefly as if he was trying hard not to just break out into a heart-melting grin. The moment he was seated, Warren kissed Layla hard, his lips so hot that she was sure her lips would be burnt when they stopped. She grinned at him when he pulled away, and licked her tingling lips, feeling them cracked beneath her tongue. Unable to care about such a trivial thing, Layla kissed Warren once more, a smile on her face as his hands burned against her hips.

The bus dropped off the end of the freeway, belts strapping them in against the seat. With a content sigh, Layla stopped kissing Warren, her lips at his ear.

"Good morning to you too," she said, laughing softly.

"A very good morning, hippie," Warren replied teasingly, his lips pressing against her neck.

"Have you decided what you're going to spend it on?" Layla asked, trying to hold back a moan as one of his hands slid up her spine, tendrils of heat spreading from his fingertips.

"Thought of a hundred things already, none of them practical or sensible," he added, chuckling. "You?"

"Secret Sanctum," she replied.

"You think you can do it up with that?"

"I can definitely get it started," Layla replied certainly.

She'd spent most of her weekend looking at real estate websites for a varying range of houses, apartments, buildings, and the like for something suitable to double as a Secret Sanctum. It was only a chance search that had given Layla an idea that she was now set on, and determined to make work. She just needed to find some information in  _The Monster_  that night at work, and Layla's half of the winnings wouldn't be in her account for very long.

"Details, hippie," Warren growled in her ear when she didn't elaborate.

"Later, we're here now," Layla replied, kissing his cheek and turning to hold on to the bar in front of her seat.

Warren sighed, knowing she wouldn't tell him a thing no matter what he said or did, and turned to hold on just as the bus landed on the school's runway.

...

"I know you're planning something, Lay. Any chance you're going to fill me in on the details sometime soon?" Zach muttered.

Layla looked at him in surprise, both for his words, and the fact that he was talking of it so openly, even if they were the only two in the corridor. She'd been held back after Mad Science and was running late for lunch, but Layla had assumed that Zach waiting by her locker was something that Warren had organised.

She didn't reply for a moment, reaching inside herself where the vine was curled and waiting, searching for some sort of response to Zach like she'd had with Wendy. There was an ache in response, but not much more than that. However, in the same moment, Layla knew that it wouldn't take long for Zach to become more  _permanent_.

"Not yet, Zach. Just give it time. I'll let you know when you're ready."

"Don't ... just don't leave me out, 'kay? Don't do anything without me," Zach pleaded.

Smiling, Layla nodded. "I'll try... You're probably not going to do anything without Ethan, are you?" she asked as they headed to the cafeteria.

"I might," he replied, but sounded uncertain to his own ears.

"Maybe work on that then. I don't think I'd be doing this if I didn't have Warren with me," she admitted.

"Have you done anything yet?" Zach asked curiously.

"I've negotiated with my Great Aunt. I'll give you those details later too, when you're ready."

He didn't look entirely appeased, but when they entered the cafeteria, Zach started talking about a movie he'd gone to on the weekend, animating the explosions and car chases with actions and loud noises to accompany his explanations. Layla smiled, nodding and laughing in all the right places, and responding when she thought it necessary.

"I'm going to sit with Larry and the boys for lunch today. I'll see you later," Layla said sweetly, kissing Warren's cheek and going to leave.

Warren grabbed her hand before she could go, glowering up at her. "Details first, hippie."

She laughed as if he'd said the most amusing thing in the world, taking her hand out of his grasp. "You honestly thought you'd get them here?" Layla asked, going over to where Larry, Adam, and Craig were sitting, saving a seat for her.

Warren scowled at her retreating form, muttering under his breath.

"Hey, don't worry about it, man. I've got to wait weeks before I hear  _anything_ ," Zach muttered sympathetically.

Warren looked at him in surprise, wondering if Zach was talking about what he thought he was.

"What are you two talking about?" Ethan asked, looking between them with a frown.

"Layla's job. The local election's coming up, so she's going to be busy," Warren replied.

His frown deepened, making it clear that Ethan didn't entirely believe Warren's response. Zach started talking about the movie he'd seen on the weekend again, stating that he wanted to see it for a second time. Realising that it was Zach's subtle way of asking him out, Ethan nodded, grinning.

...

Half an hour before school finished that afternoon, Principal Powers came on the PA, announcing that a supervillain was terrorising Maxville below, and all students were to stay inside until further notice.

TV screens were brought into the classrooms for students to watch the fight between this villain and the Commander and Jetstream. The villain introduced himself as Iceman (Layla could imagine Warren groaning and wanting to hit his head on the desk at the horrifyingly lame name), and stated the usual villainous things about defeating the Commander and Jetstream, about his reign over the city, and generally monologuing instead of fighting.

Surprisingly, his ability actually kept the two heroes at bay for some time. Iceman made the atmosphere so heavy that they could feel the cold temperature inside Sky High, and Jetstream was unable to stay up in the air at a high height. The moment she was close enough to the ground, Iceman froze the Commander so he couldn't move and punch his way out of the ice he'd been encased in. With her husband suddenly much heavier than usual, Jetstream couldn't hold him up, and had to fly to the ground to put him down so she wouldn't drop him. Placing him on top of a vent in the sidewalk, Jetstream flew in the opposite direction in an attempt to distract Iceman while the Commander thawed out.

Her tactic worked and the Iceman followed her, freezing things around her as he attempted to capture her in ice as well. Despite being close to the ground, Jetstream was able to dodge the incoming onslaughts of ice, weaving in and out of structures and buildings to avoid being captured. Thick pillars of ice hit buildings and cars alike, narrowly missing the Channel Five reporter's van, as the news chopper had been grounded due to the heavy atmosphere as well.

One of the news reporters had snuck past the fighting duo to get a closer camera shot of the Commander as he was almost completely thawed out. His movement went unnoticed by both Jetstream and the Iceman. As the Commander was facing the opposite way, the news reporter was subsequently covered in shards of ice and hit with the Commander's full strength as he burst from his frozen confines. The cameraman's gasp could be clearly heard when the reporter fell to the ground, a large lump on his head, a dark bruise already forming, and blood starting to ooze from the back of his head where he'd hit the asphalt.

"Oh shit, I think he's dead," the cameraman groaned, sounding sickened.

The camera view changed as he moved to the reporter to check his pulse. For a long moment, the TV screens in Sky High all went black. The picture returned suddenly, with Brian Anderson, the anchor at the TV station stating that everything was fine, and they were just having a technical difficulty. By the time the cameras returned to the scene, the fight was already over. The Commander had run to his wife's aid the moment he'd burst free from the ice, and the fight was over in a matter of minutes. Jetstream distracted Iceman long enough for the Commander to punch him, knocking the supervillain out cold.

There was a flash of the news reporter's body being zipped up in a black bag as the TV station tried to switch from the Commander and Jetstream waving to the cameras to the anchor's camera once more. Brian Anderson did his usual sign off with an exorbitant amount of gratitude for the Commander and Jetstream, but Layla noted that it seemed a little forced this time, and Brian was looking green around the edges.

Principal Powers came over the PA once more, sounding somewhat hesitant as she announced that everyone could leave in an orderly fashion to the buses. Most of the students were quiet as they left the classrooms, and the silence continued even as the buses left Sky High.

When the bus' jet-engine exhausts were at their loudest, Layla turned to Warren, her mouth at his ear.

"I think I can use this to our advantage."

"How?"

Grinning, Layla detailed her idea to him. Warren was impressed at her cunning to turn what had been an accident into something like this.

"That will definitely work. You have to time it just right though, or the Mayor's not going to agree to it."

Layla nodded. "I think that there's going to be enough fuss raised over this that addressing it earlier will help the Mayor look good."

"Oh, you definitely have to say something like that to him. Mention the election, and he'll agree to it before you've even said a thing," Warren said, chuckling against her skin.

She grinned at him brightly and then settled herself against him, his arm around her shoulders, and her hand resting in his.

...

On arriving at work, Layla found that everyone was running around, shouting instructions to each other over the noise of phones ringing in every cubicle.

"Oh, Layla. You're here..." Ms. Peace said, looking slightly crestfallen. "As you can see, we're busy at the moment. If you could just sit with  _The Monster_  until this is over? We've got a hell of a mess to clean up," she said distractedly when her phone began to ring again.

Passing the Mayor's office, Layla saw him shouting into the phone about damages to cars, buildings, how much it would cost to repair and reconstruct the office building that had been almost destroyed, and how the melting ice leaking into the vent below the street had caused some sort of pipe damage.

"And that's on top of the funeral costs that the PR department's already agreed to for that idiotic reporter getting in the way!" he yelled.

Seeing Layla standing at the doorway, his fierce expression changed to one of abstract horror, and he hurried to shut his office door firmly.

A loud hacking and coughing sounded behind her, and Layla turned to see the Mayor's personal assistant looking absolutely miserable as he coughed into a large handkerchief.

"Are you all right?" she asked with a slight frown.

"Hairball that won't come out," he replied, reminding Layla all too graphically that his power was to shift into a cat.

"Oh, I hope it does soon," Layla said as sympathetically as she could manage, leaving quickly to the office that housed  _The Monster_.

Leaving the door open so she could hear what was happening, the noise gradually began to die down after a few hours. When it was almost back to normal, Ms. Peace found Layla tidying up the newest batch of files for  _The Monster_.

"You seem to have tamed it well," she said with a quick grin.

"Thanks; I'm just glad it's staying the way I left it. I'd much prefer to put everything away myself since I know where it all is," Layla replied. "How's it going out there? It was a bit hectic earlier."

"That's an understatement," Ms. Peace said, laughing. "I tell you, it's usually more work to clean up after a superhero than it is for them to defeat the villain!"

"How so? I mean, I know there was some damage to buildings, and ... that reporter," Layla added.

"Yeah, there was that. It's not the first time that reporter tried to get up close during a fight like that. This time he just wasn't so lucky to escape," she said, sighing heavily. "He was a good guy, and didn't deserve to go out like that."

They were both silent for a few moments as a sign of respect for the dead.

"So what else needs to be cleaned up after the villain's defeated?" Layla asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Well, there's the damages to the buildings, so that takes time, money, and people that we can't often spare. People's cars were destroyed, so they'll be wanting compensation in some way or another. The ice that melted had some sort of super freezing ability, and it resolidified after melting off of the Commander, so we've got people trying to fix the pipes that it dripped on to. The buildings that were damaged will have to be closed until they've been fixed, and since there were about twenty buildings damaged, it means that some people might be out of work for a month. We only have so many contractors on file to help repair things... We were lucky to get the weather supers in to get the frost out of the atmosphere. Good thing we did, or else you would've been stuck up there for a lot longer."

"So you've contacted the AAA Contractors already?" Layla asked.

Ms. Peace frowned. "No, the one on file was Maxville Construction. Who are AAA Contractors?"

"They're the super contractors. I thought you'd get them in because they've got heroes who can fix it all up quicker. I think they've even got a panel beater on staff as well... I saw a few of the documents when I was taming  _The Monster_ ," Layla admitted at her curious look.

"Don't tell anyone else that, and you'll be fine. But that's a damned good idea. Come with me," she said, tugging Layla out of the room and down to the Mayor's office. Knocking, she waited for a few seconds before opening the door. "Excuse me, Mr. Mayor?"

"Yes, what is it?"

Ms. Peace nudged Layla forward, nodding at her to speak.

Licking her lips nervously, Layla started. "I was told that you got Maxville Construction in to repair the damaged buildings, but they're non-super workers. The AAA Contractors are all supered staff, and they'd get the job done a lot quicker. They charge a bit more, but the overall cost will be less, since you'll be able to have people back at work sooner and not have to compensate for them," Layla added quickly.

For a moment, the Mayor just looked at her, blinking in suprise. "That's a damned good idea. Get that going, would you, Nina?" he asked, looking to Ms. Peace. "You, stay here... What's your name again?" the Mayor asked, smiling at Layla broadly.

"Layla."

"Excellent. Lovely to meet you, Layla. You've been working here long?"

"A bit over a month," she replied, uncertain as to where this was going, and trying not to get too offended at the fact that he couldn't remember her name or that they'd already met.

"Excellent, wonderful," he muttered distractedly. "Jorge!" the Mayor called loudly.

With another cough and a loud wheeze, his personal assistant looked into the room.

"You're fired. Get your things and get out of here. I don't want to see you until the next family dinner, and even then, that will be under protest."

Jorge looked relieved, leaving the office, grabbing his bag and exiting the building with a speed that Layla almost envied.

"Congratulations, Layla, you've just been promoted to my personal assistant," the Mayor said, shaking Layla's hand.

"Uh, what?" she asked in surprise.

"Nina will sort out the details with you. Just think, you'll get to be my personal assistant, and handle things just like this! I'm sure you're a very ambitious young lady, and you'll do just fine. You know how to run things, obviously. I have to go now, I have a dinner with some very important people. Take some overtime to tidy up your new desk!" the Mayor said on his way out, seeing the mess of hair on the PA's desk.

"What just happened?" Layla asked Ms. Peace who had stepped into the room after the Mayor's departure.

"Congratulations, you've just been subjected to one of the Mayor's infamous mood swings," Nina said, grinning.

"I just got Jorge's job. Is that even legal? Shouldn't it have gone through job advertisers?"

She laughed. "The Mayor has been wanting to fire Jorge ever since he hired him. If he's ever questioned, he'll just say that it was an internal application and you were the best candidate. Don't worry, that's how I got my job."

Layla still felt a little stunned at the intensity of how everything had just changed. "He does know I'm still in school, right? I can't really be a PA if I'm not here... Can I?"

"You'll be amazed what you can arrange online nowadays. Just be stern with him, make sure you get all of his appointments done at least two months in advance, and you'll be fine. Besides, if you can't handle it, just tell me and I'll help you. Jorge hasn't been well enough to lift a finger lately, but the Mayor's still managed to get his dry cleaning every week."

Layla noted that there was a hint of bitterness in Ms. Peace's tone. "You didn't want to be his PA, did you?"

Her question seemed to startle Nina, and she laughed sourly. "Hell no. I've already got enough to do as it is. But if you're ever given something for the Mayor regarding giving me a raise, put them between a bunch of other papers and he'll sign them without looking," Ms. Peace said with a wink.

Laughing hesitantly, Layla left the Mayor's office with Ms. Peace, and began to clean her brand new desk.

...

End of the twenty-second chapter.


	23. Chapter 23

"Excuse me, Mr. Mayor?" Layla asked, knocking on his door as she looked into his office.

"Yes, what is it, Lily?" the Mayor replied, looking distracted.

"Layla," she corrected.

"Right, Layla," he amended quickly.

"As your new PA, I had an idea that I thought might be useful," Layla said. Seeing his sceptical look, she continued before he could shoot her idea down, "It's an idea I thought of that would reduce the risk of reporters being injured, hurt, or worse, killed, like the reporter yesterday. As I'm sure you know, the election's coming up, and people are going to judge you on what sort of solution you think of to stop the unnecessary harm of people in the town when a villain is defeated."

Layla watched the Mayor for a moment, and she could almost see the cogs in his brain working overtime to think how her idea could benefit him.

"Tell me this idea of yours then, Layla."

"Yes, Mr. Mayor," she said with a quick smile. "There are two aspects to this idea, with the first coming to a compromise with the local media to ensure that they aren't put in any danger; the second aspect involves installing surveillance cameras throughout Maxville that the media can access and use in order to get the required footage they need. It sounds expensive, I know," Layla added at his expression, "but it's a small price to pay to save the lives of both reporters and any civilians that may get caught in the fighting area. If the cameras are used to record footage, then any damages to buildings or cars can be verified immediately, and there will be less expenses spent on unnecessary contractors."

The Mayor seemed to be thinking about her suggestion seriously. He looked up at her with a slight frown. "Exactly what sort of compromise would be required with the media? They don't take kindly to people telling them what to do."

"Just a small thing to ensure that they don't get in so close to the fight that they can be harmed, say a three-block perimeter around the area that is being fought in? If there's no need for the heroes to worry over civilian lives, then they'll be able to defeat the villains faster," she added when the Mayor didn't look overly convinced.

"They might agree to a two-block radius, but three is pushing it. State three, but don't go below two when you've organised to speak to the press about it next month," the Mayor said authoritatively.

"Next month? Do you really think it's a good idea to wait so long? I mean, with the election coming up, won't they want some sort of response to this tragedy that they can report on to the general public?"

"Yes... Good thinking. You can do it tomorrow afternoon then, gives you time to prepare your speech," he mused, then called out for Ms. Peace, who stuck her head in the office a moment later. "Get Layla the contact details for every media and press hound in town, would you?"

"All right," Nina replied, and there was an itching at the Mayor's head that he couldn't resist.

"Layla's doing a press conference tomorrow, where she'll suggest an idea that'll stop any more of them getting in the way of the heroes saving the town and getting killed again," he stated.

Not too impressed with his vague answer, Ms. Peace nodded briefly. Layla thanked the Mayor quickly, and left after her, telling her the idea in a rush of words.

"I really didn't think he'd agree to it though," she added breathlessly. "I've never had to talk to adults like this before, and I'm really nervous about it. I have to think of a speech to say for tomorrow afternoon. Oh god, I'm already feeling sick. What if I throw up?" Layla asked, her eyes wide.

Nina frowned, still trying to process the girl's fast-paced words about her idea. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You just need to speak to them with authority and don't back down. They'll probably try to take advantage of the fact that you're young and somewhat inexperienced, but don't let them walk over you... Actually, they're pretty ruthless. It might be best if I went with you. Don't worry, I won't tamper with them; I'll just make sure they don't harass you in any way."

"Is that really okay? You'd really do that for me? Oh, thank you!" Layla said, hugging her tightly. Then she stepped back quickly, coughing in embarrassment. "Sorry, it's just ... I'm really hoping they'll agree to this idea, and as you can tell, I'm a bit excited too. I'll have to put all of that energy into writing my speech," she said determinedly.

"Right, you go do that while I get the contact details for everyone. It shouldn't take too long since they've all got email addresses now, and you don't have to individually call them like the old days... Don't worry, I'll tell you what to write in the email so they'll all show up," Nina offered with a smile.

Thanking her once more, Layla went back to her desk to try and write something up for her press conference the next day. She hid her smile and buried her emotions at the thought of both the Mayor and Ms. Peace falling for her dramatics hook, line, and sinker.

...

"If you don't give me the details right now, hippie, I'm going to set fire to the whole damned bus," Warren muttered, finally out of patience after days of waiting.

Layla laughed brightly, kissing his lips gently. "I was waiting until you were no longer grounded. Now I can show you," she added, pressing the button on the bus.

A few moments later it came to a stop, and they both disembarked, Layla thanking the driver over her shoulder. Warren frowned when he realised that they were on the outskirts of Maxville and nowhere near any housing developments that he could see.  _What had happened to wanting to rebuild an old house into a Secret Sanctum_?

As he turned around on the spot, trying to determine just what Layla had in mind, Warren noticed that she was walking down the street and no longer beside him. Muttering under his breath, he jogged to catch up to her.

"What on earth are you thinking, hippie? There's nothing out here," he said.

"Exactly. That bus goes by once every three hours, and I swear, for the next two hours and fifty-nine minutes, there'll be no one and nothing out here but us," Layla said.

"How are we getting back into Maxville then?" Warren asked pointedly.

"We wait. I'm sure we can find something to occupy the time," she replied, grinning at him over her shoulder. "But first, those details you so desperately wanted."

Warren could have powered up in frustration at that moment.

"Coming?" she called, and he saw that she was walking into a field off to the side of the road.

Still confused, but more than curious, Warren hurried after Layla.

"Right, stand there," she said, moving him slightly so he was directly in front of her. "Be quiet, and just watch," Layla added sternly when he opened his mouth to say something.

Not entirely happy, Warren simply nodded in return and waited.

"I was thinking of a forest here," Layla said.

Behind him, and blocking them from view of the road completely, a forest of trees erupted from the earth. The trees continued on either side of them, creating a large U-shape around them.

"Then, a house right here," she said, thin and leafless trees rising from the earth. "Entrance right there where you are," - two trees entwined together above his head to form a rough doorway - "a training room on the right hand side of the house, and on the left there'd be a changing room, kitchen, bathroom, and small laundry."

As Layla spoke, trees formed the individual rooms, and Warren could see the structure taking shape before his eyes. He waited for her to continue building the Secret Sanctum that they'd drawn in her notebook. When that seemed to be all she planned, Warren turned to look at her in confusion. He stayed silent for a moment longer, unsure if she was just gathering up her powers for the next lot of rooms. Layla seemed finished though, and not because she'd used up her power for the night.

"Where's everything else? The library? The meditation room? Hell, somewhere to sleep?" he asked, completely and utterly confused.

Layla smiled slowly and looked down to his feet. Frowning, he followed her gaze, but didn't see anything special or out of the ordinary.

"Care to elaborate, hippie?"

The tree-built house around him sank down into the ground, and as the earth stayed parted, Warren could see new 'rooms' taking shape beneath his feet.

"You mean ... you want to build  _under_  the house?" Warren asked, looking up at her as the earth became smooth once more.

Layla grinned broadly. "Not just under the house.  _Under the whole field_. The trees will keep the earth strong, so then I can use their roots to alter large chunks beneath the ground, hollow out entire areas, and create a whole hive of rooms and passageways. Better than one crummy Sanctum, that's for sure," Layla muttered, looking at the earth as if it held the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

"Right. So who is going to make this underground hive then?" Warren asked. "Your trees might get the underground part working, but if you're planning on making it into a huge liveable area, then you'll need electricians, plumbing, and whatever the hell else is needed. I don't think my shovelling skills will help much," he added quickly.

She laughed, kissing him briefly, her lips curved into a smile. Before Layla could answer, the trees behind her started to shrink, and her body swayed slightly. She groaned in pain, and the forest disappeared in a matter of seconds. Warren hurried to hold her upright and saw that she was covered in goosebumps.

"Just let them go. We'll go wait by that bus stop, all right?" he murmured, trailing his hands down her arms to warm her.

Layla nodded and moved closer to Warren so he could wrap his arms around her properly. He grinned against her hair, his arms flaming briefly against her skin. Walking slowly, he guided her back to the bus stop. Since it was an out of town stop, there were no seats nor any cover available, and they still had two hours to wait. Just as luck would have it, it started to rain thirty minutes later.

"Warren?"

"Hmm?" he replied, trying to keep from shivering in the freezing rain.

"Kiss me?" Layla asked, sliding into his lap and putting her arms around his neck.

Surprised at her request, but not willing to deny her, Warren kissed Layla as best as he could manage while being pelted with freezing raindrops. It took him a few minutes to realise that he wasn't getting soaked, and he pulled away to look up. A large leafy vine was above them, blocking the rain.

"Take it down, Layla. I'll be fine," Warren said, even as the rain came down harder.

"Just keep kissing me, and we'll both be fine," she replied, drawing him to her once more.

Deciding that he didn't have much choice, Warren kissed her again, trying to keep his body from shivering as the temperature around them continued to drop. When they pulled away for air, Warren lit his entire body, trying to keep the flames as low and hot as possible without burning Layla. She shook her head at him, wrapped her hand around his wrist and kissed him again, flames licking their way along her skin. It didn't burn as she thought it might, but it still hurt, but she found that she  _liked_  the pain. Layla kissed Warren harder, her fingernails digging into his shoulders sharply. He groaned against her mouth, and she felt him shift beneath her.

"Stop, Layla. Fuck... Just ... Just give me a minute to get under control," Warren muttered.

"You liked that?" Layla asked curiously.

He nodded briefly, but wouldn't meet her eyes. Grinning slightly, Layla moved so she was straddling Warren's waist and kissed him, watching him intently.

"So did I," she admitted against his lips.

Warren didn't seem to believe her at first, but then she slipped her hands under her shirt and raked her nails down his chest, and he groaned in desire. Seeing that she was waiting for something in retribution, Warren trailed his fingertips down her back, feather-light touches against her spine. Then, before she could say something, he slipped his hands under her buttocks, lifting her up and giving her a resounding smack. Layla gasped in surprise, but any pain she felt was soon replaced by desire, Warren's hand stroking and soothing her.

"I'm not going to be able to sit for the rest of the week without being sore," she murmured, her pout turning to a grin when she looked at him. "That turns you on, doesn't it?"

"As much as it turns you on," Warren replied.

Layla laughed, pressing a kiss to his lips briefly. "Good to know. Come on, the rain's gone now. Let's walk down to the stop before this one. It shouldn't take too long," she cajoled.

Warren muttered but stood up, brushing off his pants with a grimace. Layla took his hand and pulled him onto the road with her, walking down the striped lines in the middle of the road.

"You're going to get hit by a car," Warren called as she jumped from line to line, laughing with each accomplishment.

"No, I won't," she called back over her shoulder.

"You will if you're not careful, hippie," he muttered, hurrying to catch up to her.

"I'm just trying to get some feeling back into my butt. You hit it hard, you know," Layla said with a pout.

Warren went to apologise, but then he saw the smile that was tugging at the corner of her lips and he scowled. "Not funny, hippie," he muttered.

"Sure it is. Besides, I made you think about spanking me again," Layla said, grinning.

"Like  _that's_  hard," Warren said with a heavy sigh. He picked Layla up and put her over his shoulder. "This'll stop you from jumping around like a damn rabbit."

Layla shook her head, then grinned and reached down to smack Warren's butt.

"Hippie! What'd you do that for?" Warren asked, trying to glare at her over his shoulder.

"You spanked me, I spank you. Those are the spanking rules," she said with a laugh.

"You've made rules?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course. I don't believe in flawed systems, but I'm not an anarchist."

"Of course," Warren muttered.

"I  **can**  walk on my own now."

"You'll stop jumping around like a deranged rabbit?"

"Yeah, probably."

Shaking his head, Warren set Layla down on her feet, stepping back in case she started jumping again. Raising her eyebrow at him, Layla turned and walked down the road casually. He hurried to catch up to her, muttering. After walking in silence for fifteen minutes, they could see the bus stop up ahead, this one with a covered seat. The air was still cold enough for Warren's power to be negatively affected by it, and they ran over together, eager for the warmth the small enclosure would provide.

"Don't worry; the bus is only another fifteen minutes away or so," Layla assured Warren, snuggling into his lap to keep him warm.

"It better have heating," he muttered, wrapping his arms around her body.

"I'm sure it will," she said with a smile, kissing him to take his mind off of being cold.

His hand ran up her spine to cup the back of her head, his fingers threaded through her hair. Deepening the kiss, Warren moved Layla so she was sitting astride his lap. They became so involved with their kiss that it wasn't until Layla saw the bus' headlights from behind her closed eyes that she realised they were about to miss their ride back into town. Pulling away sharply, she stood and waved for the driver to stop, Warren cursing behind her.

The bus driver stopped a further way down the road, but waited for them to board and take their seats before taking off again. Warren relaxed slightly in the warm bus, but had to push away the temptation to roast the driver for interrupting his make out session with Layla. He wasn't sure if she was as annoyed as he was, but for a moment, Warren was positive that the weed-covered paddocks on the side of the road were in bloom and covered in thorns.

...

"I understand that everyone is in mourning for their fellow journalist right now, but I believe that this meeting is important and necessary to ensure that this tragedy doesn't happen again," Layla said. "I have some suggestions that I think we should work on together in order to ensure everyone's safety."

No one answered, but she figured that they were listening since they were all looking towards her, and so Layla continued with her small speech.

"Now, the first thing I'm suggesting is to create a three-block perimeter around a superhero and villain's fight. This is for both civilians and other super-powered people, not just yourselves," Layla added quickly when a few of the reporters looked ready to argue.

Waiting for them to settle down and give their attention back to her, Layla watched each of the gathered reporters calmly. Nina was standing behind her, but no one seemed to be itching or in pain, so when they turned back to her again, Layla knew that it was due to their own curiosity.

"The second suggestion is to keep each other out of trouble. There's no point making these rules ... suggestions," she amended quickly, "only for you to try and sneak past any perimeters and get yourselves killed.

"My third suggestion is one that I hope will benefit both yourselves and your employers," Layla said, her words garnering more interest than the first two suggestions. "I have suggested to the Mayor that security cameras be placed throughout Maxville. These cameras will be turned on during a fight and each of you will be given access to the feeds in order for you to get your required footage."

"So you're not planning on using the cameras to keep tabs on the residents of Maxville?"

"Of course not. The crime rate in Maxville is the lowest in the state thanks to the Commander and Jetstream, so there would be no reason to keep the cameras on at any time other than a fight for your own requirements," Layla replied.

"You really think we'll stay three blocks away from a fight, even if those cameras ever did get put in place?" one reporter scoffed.

"I did say that these were suggestions," Layla reminded, looking at them all. "How far would you be willing to stay away from a fight then?"

"One block."

"Not happening," she replied immediately, shaking her head. "There would be no point in continuing this meeting if you were only going to stay back one lousy block."

"One and a half."

"What's that, an extra five, ten metres? You do realise that the Commander can throw a car over the top of Banks and Livingston Lawyers?" Layla asked, referring to Maxville's largest skyscraper at fifty storeys high. "Three blocks, and once the fight is over, you'll be able to take as many photographs of the winners as you can for five whole minutes," she bargained.

"How will  **you**  organise that?" one of the reporters asked, her tone caught between disbelief and curiosity.

"As the Mayor's PA I have connections, and just as I am discussing this with you, I will be able to discuss the same options with the Commander and Jetstream... Even if it is just over the phone," Layla added when a few of the reporters looked far too pleased at the prospect of getting an exclusive interview through her.

There were a few murmurs among the journalists, but Layla waited patiently for them to discuss and decide amongst themselves. This wouldn't work if they didn't agree to her terms.

"We'll make the perimeter two and a half blocks, and ten minutes of questions and photos."

"I will consider it, and inform the Commander and Jetstream of your compromise when I am able to talk to them," Layla said with a curt nod.

 _It was better than she had expected_.

"I'll contact you again regarding their decision and whether they agree to such a lengthy interview and photo time," she added.

A few people muttered, but before they could voice any of their grievances, a look of pain crossed their features and more than one scratched at their head. Layla looked behind her to see Ms. Peace glowering at the reporters.

"Let's go before they get over that," Nina muttered.

Layla nodded and left with her quickly. When they were in Ms. Peace's car, Layla looked to her with a slight frown.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," she replied, her tone clipped and blunt.

Nodding briefly, Layla looked ahead and they both lapsed into silence.

...

As they were nearing the Peace residence, Nina pulled the car into a nearby parking lot, turning the key off in the ignition with trembling hands.

"I'm sorry, Layla. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, and I shouldn't have done that to those reporters either," she said, sounding as though she loathed herself for losing control like that. "They ... Being in there, in that room with them... It was just like I was living through Baron's trial all over again. Back then, I'd only ever been a hero, and had no idea just how ruthless the reporters were to get a story; to get a story that would  _sell_. But then, during Baron's imprisonment, trial and subsequent gaoling, I learnt the hard way just how cruel they could be. I had journalists ringing up the house in the middle of the night, telling me that my husband would be freed the next day, just so they could get my reaction. I was followed constantly, and I couldn't even do grocery shopping without someone taking my photo. Being in that room, knowing that they probably wouldn't stick by anything they agreed to, I just ... I lost control for a moment."

Layla rummaged through her purse and brought out a small pack of tissues, offering them to Ms. Peace. She took one with a watery smile and dabbed at her tears before blowing her nose loudly.

"Oh, look at me. I'm such a mess," she said with a tear-filled laugh.

"Not at all. Thank you for sharing that with me, Ms. Peace. I'm not sure what I can do about it, but I'm hoping that these reporters will have more sense than to go against the rules that will be created to keep them - and those that they interview - safe from harm. It's probably very trivial, but I really hope it works."

"So do I, dear. No one should be hounded to the point where they pose a risk to themselves or others," she murmured, taking another tissue. "If you wouldn't mind walking the last few blocks up to the house, I might just take a few minutes to compose myself again. I don't want Warren to see me like this. He's hopeless when women cry," Ms. Peace said with another laugh that just didn't sound right.

"All right. Thank you for going with me, Ms. Peace. I really appreciate it," Layla said warmly, leaving the tissues beside her.

"You  _can_  call me Nina," Ms. Peace said, attempting to smile despite taking another tissue from the small packet.

Nodding, Layla squeezed her hand gently before getting out of the car and closing the door. A brisk wind whipped around her, and she shivered, pulling her jacket closed tighter. Heading towards Warren's house, Layla kept her arms wrapped around her body to ward off the cold. Fifteen minutes later, she found that she had to shake her hands a few times before she could bring herself to make a fist to knock on the door.

"Hippie? Why the hell are you  _blue_?" Warren asked, staring at her goosebump covered skin and her pale face.

"Walked for a bit," she replied with a smile, trying not to let her teeth chatter.

"Geez, are you trying to freeze to death? Get in here," Warren muttered, pulling her inside.

She almost moaned at the feel of his warm hand against her freezing skin. Layla heard the door close, but then Warren wrapped his arms around her tightly, and with a sound similar to a lighter striking, they were both completely covered in flames. Slowly starting to relax, Layla sighed contentedly as her body began to warm up in Warren's embrace.

"Better now?" he asked, looking down at her to gauge whether she was warm enough.

Layla smiled and nodded, raising up on her toes to kiss him, her fingers threaded through his hair. "Thank you," she murmured against his lips.

"You're welcome... What on earth made you want to walk in that freezing weather?" he muttered.

Shrugging noncommittally, Layla pulled away from him. "Just thought it would be good to go for a walk. I was still full of nervous energy after the meeting with the reporters."

"How'd it go?" Warren asked with a grin.

"Better than I'd anticipated. I just have to get the Stronghold's to agree, and it'll be set," Layla replied with an evil smile.

The door opened behind them, and Layla quickly stepped forward to get out of Nina's way, her face neutral once more.

"Oh, Layla, thank god. I wasn't thinking; I shouldn't have asked you..."

"Don't worry, Ms. Peace. I wanted to walk off that extra energy, and Warren was kind enough to warm me up," Layla added with a smile.

"I'm sure I told you to call me Nina," she replied, raising her eyebrow.

Warren looked between his girlfriend and his mother, wondering exactly what he was missing out on. Shaking his head, he turned and headed to the kitchen. "I'll cook dinner while you two sort your story out. Then you can tell me what happened."

"Never misses a trick, that one," Ms. Peace said with a roll of her eyes, and Layla stifled a laugh. "Well, might as well get our story straight in comfort. Let's go sit in the lounge room, and then we can discuss where you'll be sleeping for the night," she offered.

"All right," Layla said, trying not to go beet red at her words as she went down to the lounge room.

Nina grinned to herself and followed Layla at her own leisurely pace.

...

End of the twenty-third chapter.


	24. Chapter 24

On seeing the caller ID, Josie was more than surprised at who it was, but she had enough sense to leave the room before answering her phone. "Hello, Layla."

"Hello, Mrs. Stronghold," Layla said pleasantly. "I was wondering if I could make a time to talk with yourself and the Commander at your earliest convenience."

Josie was fairly sure that her jaw was hanging open at Layla's blunt request, and she had to wonder exactly what the girl wanted with their super alter-egos.

"It's in regards to the recent tragedy that occurred," Layla said, as if anticipating her question. "I don't know if your son has told you, but I'm working for the Mayor, and I've recently been promoted to PA. I've discussed a strategy with the media in order to keep them away from super-induced fights, and I need to discuss the terms with Jetstream and the Commander."

Finally, Josie's brain started working again, and she thought of her schedule for the next few days.  _A house showing on Thursday afternoon, a contract signing on Friday afternoon, Will needed help with his science project and that would probably take most of the day if Steve got involved as he inevitably would..._

_Wait, Layla had said 'your son' instead of 'Will'. Just what had happened with them?! Will had simply said that they'd broken up, but if it was as mutual as he implied, then why would Layla go out of her way to not even say his name?!_

"Steve's out of town at the moment," Josie said carefully -  _the Mayor had suggested the Commander lay low for a while, which had resulted in Steve sulking in the Secret Sanctum for the past three days instead_  - "So if you don't mind, you'll just be meeting with me. We  _will_  talk about this," Josie added in her best  _Mum_  voice, making it very clear that she wasn't talking about Layla's proposition.

"Oh," Layla said, sounding hesitant. "You may not like what I have to say."

"Nonsense; you are a sweet girl, and I'm sure there's a perfectly rational reason as to why you and Will broke up."

There was a moment of silence, and Josie felt her rational resolve failing;  _their breakup_ ** _definitely_** _wasn't as mutual as Will had implied_.

"Perhaps it would be best to discuss this face-to-face," Layla said finally. "When would you be able to meet with me?"

"This Saturday morning, if you're available," she replied.

 _Will could do his Mad Science assignment with Steve, and it would be on their heads if he failed_. There was a tight feeling in her chest at that thought.  _Well, she'd be able to fix up the assignment when she returned from talking with Layla_ , Josie reasoned to herself.

They arranged to meet at a local café for brunch, and Josie disconnected from the call, trying to dispel the feeling of unease she felt about exactly what she would hear come Saturday morning.

...

Layla sat at the cafe, waiting for Josie patiently, despite the fact that she was half an hour late. Sipping at her herbal tea, she watched the shoppers passing by, laden with bags or pushing shopping trolleys with faulty wheels.

"Oh, Layla, I'm so sorry I'm late. I got caught up with the boys, and well, you know what they're like," Josie said as she sat down across from Layla.

"I completely understand, Mrs. Stronghold. Would you like tea or coffee?" Layla asked, indicating to the menu.

Fanning herself with the menu for a moment, Josie tried to calm herself. She was surprised to realise that she felt  **nervous**  about this meeting.  _It was ridiculous to feel that way, of course. Even if she hadn't seen Layla since her mother's funeral, or that she'd been running so very late and Layla was being so pleasant to her_...

Josie had tested Will the night before, and at the mere mention of Layla's name he had gone very quiet and answered things in vague monosyllables. Then he had mentioned something about needing help with his homework, and Josie had slipped into her overprotective and perfectionist 'Mum mode', helping Will with his Algebra homework for three hours straight. It was only when she'd gone to bed, her mind swimming with x's and y's, that Josie realised that Will had completely avoided the question. She'd spent the next few hours thinking, remembering how he'd done similar things over the course of his childhood. Especially if it had been to do with his power, Will would change the topic or ask for help, and the question would be lost until they remembered it the next time. Josie realised that it was his way of avoiding confrontation. She had tossed and turned, eventually falling into a restless sleep, plagued with thoughts of things her son might have done to ruin his ten-year friendship with Layla.

"I think I'll have a strong coffee," Josie said, standing and leaving to the counter before Layla could reply.

Layla hid her smile, sipping at her tea again. Mrs. Stronghold only drank strong coffee when she was worried about Will. When she was worried about Mr. Stronghold, then it would be a hazelnut infused coffee; if she was calm then it would be a cappuccino. Layla was almost positive that Mrs. Stronghold's ability to fly arose from her over-consumption of caffeine.

"What would you like to talk about first?" Layla asked pleasantly when she had returned with her very strong coffee.

Again, Josie was surprised at Layla's bluntness. She supposed it was good though;  _who really wanted to do all of that back and forth when things just needed to be said_?

"Tell me what happened between you and Will."

Layla sighed and looked down at her teacup. "That's just the thing, Mrs. Stronghold. Nothing happened between us. It happened between Will and Magenta."

For a moment, Josie simply stared, trying to wrap her mind around Layla's words. The expression that crossed her face the moment she realised that her son had cheated was priceless, and Layla could have sworn that Mrs. Stronghold actually flew up out of her seat slightly.

"You mean to say that he was unfaithful to you?" Josie asked.

Layla was somewhat surprised at the hostility in Mrs. Stronghold's voice, and she wondered just what had happened in her life to make this conversation hit a nerve. As she was thinking about it, Layla vaguely remembered a villain called Lustful who had almost defeated the Commander.

 _Maybe there was more to that fight than had been reported_?

Realising that Mrs. Stronghold was still waiting for an answer, Layla nodded.

"Are you all right?" Josie asked, reaching out to hold her hand.

Layla moved her hands to her lap, and gave a watery smile. "Some days, I think I am. Others are harder to deal with. Especially since I have to see him in class every day."

"In class? So... You're on the Hero track now?" she commented in surprise, too preoccupied to really notice that Layla had pulled away from her on purpose.

Layla smiled a bit brighter, trying not to seem as though she was the ex-girlfriend to be pitied, but rather the strong ex-girlfriend who was finally doing something right for herself.

"Yes. I was transferred over a month or two ago. It's one of the reasons I was able to get this job working for the Mayor," Layla added, bringing the conversation back to their main reason for meeting.

"Congratulations on the new job then," Josie said, smiling brightly. "Now, why don't you tell me why you organised this meeting?"

Smiling and nodding, Layla detailed the same plan that she'd given to the journalists a few days before. Instead of offering the journalists' agreement terms, however, Layla stipulated that the journalists had agreed to stay back in a three-block radius so long as they had fifteen minutes of Jetstream and the Commander's time after a fight for pictures, questions, and the like.

"Fifteen minutes? That's quite a lot of time, especially considering how many villains we defeat every year," Josie murmured, a bit put off by the whole thing. She wasn't entirely sure about the cameras either, but that was something she could discuss with the Mayor later.

"If you have another proposition, I can take it back to the journalists?" Layla offered, bringing out a small notepad and pen.

"Three blocks and ten minutes. Five for each of us," Josie said.

"All right. I'll see if I can get them to agree to it. They weren't very happy about the three blocks in the first place," she murmured.

"Well... Maybe try twelve minutes then. It might make up for the distance."

"Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you, or the Commander," Layla added as an afterthought.

"An extra minute from each of us isn't too long," Josie said, waving off her concern.

"Thank you so much for meeting me about this, Mrs. Stronghold. I really appreciate it."

"You're most welcome. If there's anything else I can do for you, please don't hesitate to call me," Josie replied, smiling broadly.

There was a 'Best Ex-Boyfriend's Mother' look on her face that made Layla want to cringe, and her voice was more 'Mrs. Stronghold, Real Estate Agent' rather than 'fellow human being'.

"I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I have to catch a bus to my Great Aunt's home, and I don't want to miss it," Layla said, reaching for her bag.

"Oh, that's fine. I'll just finish up here and be on my way," Josie said with another cringe-worthy smile.

"Thank you again. Goodbye, Mrs. Stronghold," Layla called, hurrying out of the small café.

...

Warren waited for Layla to arrive impatiently. She had promised to meet him after her meeting with Mrs. Stronghold, and she was almost fifteen minutes late. When Layla did arrive five minutes later, Warren didn't recognise her at first, and wondered why this woman was walking towards him like she knew him.

"Sorry I took so long; I had to get changed. How do I look?"

"Unrecognisable," Warren said truthfully.

Layla's hair was pulled back tightly, two chopsticks sticking out of the neat bun. Her clothes had a distinct Asian cut to them, and the makeup she was wearing lent to a more Oriental than Western style. If she were alive, her own mother would have had a difficult time recognising her.

"Good, that's the idea," Layla replied with a quick smile.

With that exchange done, they both walked into Stronghold Realty to talk to Mr. Stronghold.

...

"Tell me again how you sold the two acre block?" Josie asked that night after dinner.

Will was upstairs in his room lifting weights. (She'd come home, glared at him and taken away all of his television and Xbox privileges until further notice. Despite not getting a reason for his grounding, Will had seen the look on her face and decided not to argue it.)

"Well, it was very easy, really. She wanted something big enough to build some sort of forest on. A nature trail or something. It was difficult to understand some parts with her accent," Steve added, frowning. "I kept trying to talk her into seeing that large five acre block down near Westville, but she'd already seen this other one and had her heart set on it. I couldn't persuade her otherwise."

"Why didn't you call me?" Josie asked, thinking of the money that he had cost them.

"Well, she was very adamant to buy something then and there. I couldn't even answer my own phone without her making a fuss," Steve said, shrugging. "But the good news is," he added, continuing before Josie could interrupt, "The land sold for $910,000."

Josie almost fell off her chair. "You sold a two acre block for nearly  _one million dollars_?!"

The Realtor's Sales Award trip to Hawaii was so close that she could almost taste the ocean salt in the air.

"Yes I did," Steve said proudly. "I even brought the contract home to prove it," he added, heading over to where his briefcase was sitting by the front door.

Josie forced herself to lower back down into her seat. She would have to start packing, and organise someone to look after Will (even though he'd probably protest and say he didn't need a babysitter, after that party last year, she didn't quite trust him not to ruin her perfect house).

Steve presented the contract with a flourish and Josie took it with trembling hands. She read over the contract twice, and her delight faded very quickly. Her feet firmly on the ground, Josie stood up and looked at her husband angrily.

"Are you  _trying_  to send us bankrupt, Steve?!" she demanded.

"Of course not. What's wrong?" he asked, taking the contract back and pushing his glasses off his head.  _He really couldn't see a damn thing with those things on_.

"You sold the two acre property for $91,000.  _You left off a zero_. You just sold the land for  ** _$109,000 less_**  than what it's worth!"

Josie stalked off, muttering about brain and brawn, and with a scream of frustration, she flew straight out of the door. Steve didn't dare try to go after her. He'd done that once (it had involved two surveillance teams, a rather expensive GPS device, breaking into international cameras, and a Black Ops team) and after the consequences of everything that had happened that time around, Steve would rather have faced Royal Pain all over again.

Throwing the contract on the table, Steve called out to Will that his mother was gone, and that they should shoot some pool. Will was in the Secret Sanctum in a matter of seconds. Even without the power of flight, Steve was only a few seconds behind him.

...

"The Commander and Jetstream have come back with a counter offer," Layla informed the gathered media representatives. "If you stay back three blocks, then you'll be given twelve minutes to interview, take photos, etc. That's an even six minutes for each of them."

There was a long moment of silence, and then a few of the journalists began to murmur something to the ones beside them, and the room filled with a buzz of noise. Layla waited patiently, trying to figure out if the noise was good or bad for her. Ms. Peace had volunteered to wait outside the room this time, not trusting herself to be in the same room as the reporters again.

"Twelve minutes for each of us?" one reporter asked.

"Not all of you. One representative for each paper, magazine, news station, etc. Otherwise the Commander and Jetstream would be spending all of their time answering your questions instead of defeating villains," Layla said with a grin, and received a few chuckles in response.

There were a few more minutes of whispering and talking amongst themselves. Layla forced herself to focus so she wouldn't let the plants in the room burst into bloom. It would reveal her as a super, and she didn't want this group knowing that information. They'd probably work out that she had some way of contacting the Commander and Jetstream that had nothing to do with the Mayor, and she'd never be left alone.

" _Channel Five_  agrees," Brian Anderson stated finally.

"So do  _The Morning Sun_ ," a journalist said.

The journalists and reporters began to agree to the terms one by one until only three people were left who still hadn't answered.

"Do you have your decision yet? It has to be all of you, or none of you," Layla prompted.

Two quickly agreed, but the third seemed to be scrutinising the people around her and waited a moment longer. Her phone buzzed on the table in front of her, and after checking the received text message, she looked up to give her answer.

" _Labyrinth_  agrees, only once the terms are met on your side. I'm not going to stand three blocks away when I don't have cameras in place that I can access," she stated.

"Neither am I," Brian Anderson agreed, everyone else echoing their sentiment.

"Very well. It looks like I'll have to get the Mayor to sign a few documents a little quicker then," Layla said with a grin. "I'll contact you all when I have the paperwork ready. I'd like you all to sign a waiver stating that you've agreed to these terms and that anything you do outside of these rules are at your own fault."

"Understandable," the reporter from  _Labyrinth_  said, the rest agreeing with her again.

With the meeting over, the gathered people started to leave. Layla saw that the woman from  _Labyrinth_  was hanging back and waited patiently, wondering what she had to say out of the earshot of the others.  _Labyrinth_  was a tabloid magazine and rarely had any news stories that were believable, but despite that, the business had flourished for the past 15 years since it started. In the super world, everyone knew that  _Labyrinth_ was merely a cover for supers, allowing them to travel to the furthest parts of the globe without too much fuss. Of course, those supers employed by  _Labyrinth_  still had to write something for the magazine, which is why their articles were never taken seriously.

"Hi Layla, I'm Honey. My employer would like to speak with you," she said when they were alone.

Not even a second later, her phone began to ring loudly. Honey handed it to her and stepped out of the meeting room.

"Hello?" Layla said into the phone.

"Good afternoon, Layla. This is Sarah, the owner of  _Labyrinth_. Honey's told me about the deal you've made with the media, and I'm interested to know more about it before anything is signed on behalf of my company. Are you able to meet with me in person?"

"Yes, of course. I'm free this Saturday morning if that's convenient?"

"Perfect. If you could come to  _Labyrinth_  at 10am, I'll have security let you into the building."

"All right, see you then."

Hanging up from the call, Layla didn't even have time to open the door before Honey stepped inside and gave her a smile. Layla handed her phone back, thanking her.

"No problem. Everything went well then?"

"I have a meeting with Sarah on Saturday," Layla replied with a nod.

"Good to know. I look forward to seeing you again when you have those cameras installed," Honey replied, leaving a moment later.

Layla stood there for a few seconds, wondering what Saturday would bring.

"All ready to go Layla?" Ms. Peace asked, looking into the room.

"Yes, I'm ready," she replied quickly, grabbing her bag and following Nina out.

...

Zach grinned brightly as he leant over the table to kiss Ethan.

"You've got to stop doing that. We'll never get anything finished," Ethan muttered when they pulled away a few minutes later.

"When you stop looking so damned kissable, then I'll stop," Zach said with a grin.

Shaking his head, Ethan returned his attention to his workbook. "If your hero's significant other is captured by the villain in return for ransom, you advise him: a) to pay the ransom, b) to find and defeat the villain, possibly risking his significant other in the process, or c) you don't advise him because the hero's already left to save his significant other without your help," Ethan read aloud.

"I told you those books were just as bad about heroes as ours are about sidekicks," Warren muttered, coming into the room with Layla beside him.

"I'd choose c)," Zach said, ignoring his comment.

"Well, it's true, isn't it? If Layla was captured by a villain, you'd go to rescue her, wouldn't you?" Ethan asked Warren, turning his attention to them.

Warren held back a laugh;  _if anything, he'd expect that Layla was the villain capturing heroes' significant others_.

"Of course I would. But I'd take my sidekick with me. And a container of kerosene to light the bastard up for taking Layla away," Warren growled possessively.

"Aw, you say the sweetest things," Layla said, kissing him.

"Good afternoon, kids. How are you?" Anita Damsale asked, smiling at them as she brought in a platter of fruit.

"Good, thank you, Mrs. Damsale. Thank you for letting us come over at such short notice," Layla said with a smile.

"Your parents and guardians all agreed to you staying over on a school night, so it's no problem at all. I'll let you know when dinner's ready. Have fun studying," Anita said, leaving them to it.

Warren closed the door behind her as Layla went to sit down.

" _Thank you for letting us come over at such short notice_ ," Zach mocked, picking up a strawberry and pretending it was Layla. " _Oh, you're so wonderful, Mrs. Damsale. Can I kiss your butt any more, Mrs. Damsale_?"

"That's my mum you're talking about, Zach," Ethan said, glowering at him.

"I know that. I'm mocking Layla, not your mum," Zach replied, grinning at Layla.

She stole the strawberry out of his grasp and ate it before he could protest.

"So why'd you call a meeting anyway? I was planning on having an intense make-out session with my boyfriend, y'know," Zach stated.

Ethan reddened at the term, but grinned a little foolishly too. Then his grinned slipped as he realised what Zach had said. "What do you mean, she called a meeting?"

"You really think I'd give up a night of work just to study? I have priorities, Popsicle, and the main one is money," Warren said, sitting beside Layla.

Ethan was stunned for a moment, looking between them all. They all seemed to know something that he didn't and he loathed not knowing something. He hated not knowing what was going on around him, and while he didn't have the best social skills in the world, Ethan was proud of the fact that he knew answers to questions that others might ask. Maybe it had something to do with his power and maybe it didn't, but Ethan soaked up knowledge like others soaked up sunlight.

"Would someone tell me what's going on here?"

"Do you still have the book for Save the Citizen?" Layla asked.

"Wh-what? Yes, of course I do," Ethan said, wondering why she was asking that instead of answering his question.

"Zach, why don't you go upstairs with Ethan to get the book? We'll explain everything when you're back," Layla said.

"Right," Zach said with a nod, taking Ethan's hand and all but pulling him out of the room.

"You're sure they're ready, hippie?" Warren asked when the door closed behind them.

"Zach definitely is," Layla said, the vine beneath her skin rippling with a brush of power.

She'd walked into the room and had clutched Warren's hand tightly at the feeling. Zach was beyond ready, and there was even a brush of the same feeling coming from Ethan. He was in love with Zach and would do anything for him, even turn evil. It wouldn't take much longer for him to become truly permanent.

"Are you all right, Eth?" Zach asked, worried when he still hadn't said anything.

Ethan shook his head. "I don't know, Zach. Do you really know what you're getting into, what  **we**  might be getting into?"

"Hey, I wouldn't get into something if I didn't know what I was getting into," Zach said, grinning.

"This is a really fine line we're treading, Zach. You know that super villains have a lower life expectancy than heroes, right? Not to mention their success rate's far below par."

"But that's other villains. We're not other villains, are we?"

"I don't even know if we  _are_ villains yet!" Ethan exclaimed. "I don't want to be like Speed and Lash, and I really don't want to end up in gaol. My mum would kill me," he groaned, sitting on the bed and sighing.

"You wouldn't be like Speed and Lash; I wouldn't let you. Besides, they were bullies and there's a huge difference between being a bully and being evil," Zach said.

Grinning at the expression on Ethan's face, Zach leant over and kissed him again, his lips curving into a grin as Ethan wrapped his arms around him.

"You  _really_  have to stop looking so damn kissable," he murmured against Ethan's lips.

Ethan pulled away from him and sighed heavily. "All right, fine. If you think I'll be such a great villain, convince me why."

"What?" Zach asked in confusion.

"Tell me why I should be a villain." He grinned slightly, seeing the look of concentration on Zach's face.

"Uhh... You hate mess and disorganisation," he replied, looking at the pristine state of Ethan's room.

"Right, so what? How's that an argument for me to be evil?"

"Because heroes are messy! You've seen Will's room, it's an absolute sty."

"Your room's not any better," Ethan pointed out.

"Well, I'm still not a fully-fledged villain," Zach said, shrugging.

"You know that's the most ridiculous argument for being a villain I've ever heard?"

"Heard that many arguments for being a villain, have you?"

"Well, no, not really."

"Then you don't know what a good argument to be a villain is. Come on, let's just go downstairs already. I'm sure Layla and Warren will be able to explain it all better than I can. I still don't have the full privileges, y'know."

"Are you really sure you want to do this, Zach?"

"Definitely, one-hundred and ten percent, man. But I won't do anything if you're not with me. It'd really suck being the third wheel around those two," he joked, grinning.

Ethan grinned slightly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "That's good enough for me. For now. Come on, I've got the book now, so let's go see what Layla and Warren have to say about all this."

Zach nodded and followed him downstairs to the lounge room. Layla and Warren were waiting for them patiently, a large stack of files sitting on the coffee table.

"What are those?" Ethan asked warily.

"Remember that day a few weeks ago where I fought Will in the cafeteria?" Warren prompted, getting a nod in return. "Well, it was all just a distraction so Layla could steal the student files from Principal Powers' office."

"I  ** _knew_**  you let him hit you!" Zach crowed.

Warren smirked. "I told him last year that I could take a hit. He should have realised something was wrong then," he said, shrugging.

"Are you all right, Ethan?" Layla asked, moving to him in concern.

Ethan didn't look away from the large piles of student files sitting on the table, his eyes widened. "Is that  _every_  student's file?"

"I've had a brief look at them, but it only seems to be current students at Sky High. I haven't seen any files for Lash, Speed, Penny, or Gwen at least," Layla said with a slight shrug.

"What do you want me for? I'm a sidekick, and not even a very good one, honestly," Ethan whispered, still staring at the files.

"You are amazing, Ethan, you just don't believe in yourself yet. But I believe in you," Layla said, her hand resting on his shoulder gently. "You were fantastic when you organised everything for Save the Citizen, and I wanted you to do something similar for me now. I won't force you to do anything. In fact, if you say no, then I'll forget about it completely so long as you do the same, and I won't ever ask you again. But right now, all I want you to do is organise the information in these files so that I can use them. I need to return the files as soon as possible, and I just don't have your excellent ability to sort through all of these and gain anything useful from them."

"That's all? You just want me to organise the information?" Ethan asked, finally looking to her.

Layla nodded sincerely. "That's all for now. It doesn't sound so evil, does it?" she added with a smile.

"Well, they're not your files," he pointed out.

"I know that; that's why I want to return them. I don't want to be labelled as a thief."

Ethan licked his lips briefly. He wanted to know what was inside of the files, he needed to know, to gain all of that knowledge, and as the want and need grew, in that moment Ethan wanted nothing more than to accept Layla's request.

"All right, I'll do it."

"You are amazing; thank you so much, Ethan. Can I help in any way?" Layla asked, looking from him to the files.

"I'll need help getting them up to my room without Mum noticing," Ethan said.

"Right, we're on it. Zach, go distract the Damsales. I'll take this upstairs," Warren instructed.

Zach grinned brightly, gave a mocking salute, and headed out to where Anita and her husband were watching TV in the kitchen.

Warren grabbed the files in an armful, shoving them into the bag that Layla had brought them over in. When Layla was sure that the two adults were engrossed in conversation with Zach, she opened the door and Warren hurried out. Ethan went after him quickly, helping him to unload the bag and put the files away in a box under his bed.

"You've got until Friday morning to get these done, Popsicle," Warren muttered as the last file was taken out of the bag.

"That's only three days away! Why Friday?" Ethan asked, frowning.

"Because that's when the broken walls into Principal Powers' office are getting repaired again," he replied.

"Then maybe everyone should come study up here so I can get started," he muttered, looking at the box.

"I can organise that," Layla said from the doorway, grinning.

She left without another word, and Ethan opened the red book, taking out the first file in the box.

"Excuse me, Anita? I'm really sorry about Zach distracting you; he's just procrastinating because we have midterms coming up soon and he's nervous. Is it okay if we study up in Ethan's room? There'll be less of a chance of Zach escaping and procrastinating again," Layla said with a grin.

"Oh, if you think it will help, go right ahead. But keep the window open; I doubt there'll be much oxygen up there with all four of you in there at once," Anita said, smiling.

"Of course. Thank you. Come on, Zach. You're not escaping again."

"Yes, ma'am," Zach said sombrely, leaving the kitchen before Layla could drag him out.

"I'll call you for dinner," Anita called after them.

"Thank you," Layla and Zach chorused, heading upstairs to help Ethan and Warren.

...

End of the twenty-fourth chapter.


	25. Chapter 25

Principal Powers walked into her newly-repaired office. The workmen had insisted that she stay out of it for the entire day so that everything could set properly, and she'd been forced to share an office with Coach Boomer. It was an experience she was in no hurry to repeat.

Seeing that one of her filing cabinets was open slightly, Powers walked over to it, opening the ajar drawer carefully. All of the student files were inside, just as she'd left them. Putting it down to a worker bumping into the piece of furniture, Principal Powers set about opening her windows, hoping to get rid of the new paint smell before the fumes ensured her return to Boomer's office.

...

The Commander and Jetstream had accepted the journalists' terms, agreeing to spend twelve minutes with them so long as they stayed behind a three-block radius. With that agreed to, Layla sent out a preliminary email to the media contacts, stating that the terms had been accepted and they were now in negotiations with AAA Contractors to get the cameras installed throughout the metropolis of Maxville.

A time frame was given for the project to be complete in two weeks' time, but no one truly expected the cameras to be installed by then, even if the job was being done by super-powered contractors. By the time Layla had taken down the details of the time-frame, a bet was running through the Mayor's office on how long they would really take to complete the job. After seeing how quickly the contractors from AAA worked during the aftermath of the Commander and Iceman's fight, Nina put her bet on for two weeks.

Layla discreetly wrote the number for the AAA Contractors down on a slip of paper so that she could call them later regarding her idea for the secret sanctum.

...

"If you want any super work done, no matter if it's above or below ground, then you'll need Council permission. The Mayor likes to know who's building what and where, y'know," the owner of AAA Contractors, Patrick said.

"Yes, I know. Do you know which specific forms I'd have to fill out in order to get Council permission?" Layla asked.

"For work above ground, it's a SW100 form. For below, a SW101 form. If you want to email me your requirements and the size of the block of land, I can give you an estimated quote before all of this goes ahead."

"Thank you, Patrick, I really appreciate it," Layla said.

"No problem. I'll wait until I get your email then."

"Okay, thank you. Have a nice day, Patrick."

"Yeah, you too," he replied, hanging up from the call.

Layla disconnected from the call, her hand trembling slightly. She was starting to create her very own secret sanctum, and it was both nerve-wracking and amazing.

Within three hours, Layla had emailed Patrick regarding her secret sanctum and received a quote in reply. At first, she thought the estimated cost was a joke, and had laughed. But when no other email came through with the real price, Layla realised that Patrick had been serious. She was on the phone to him in a matter of minutes, knowing all too well that the costs were far too exorbitant for the job she wanted - the entire lower half of the Maxville metropolis hadn't cost as much to repair! Patrick was tough, but eventually caved when she brought up the work he'd done at a much lower price for other supers in Maxville. In the end, Layla managed to get the price down from almost $25,000 to $10,000. It was still a steep price, but it would be worth it in the end.

With a happy hum, Layla got her bag ready to go to Warren's house to study. When she was ready, she left her Great Aunt's house without looking back, and knew that when the time came for her to leave for good, she wouldn't look back then either.

...

"Are you sure you're all right to come in with me, Warren?" Layla asked, frowning slightly. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

Warren just nodded in response. He wasn't about to let Layla go to this meeting without knowing what it was about.  _There was something about the whole situation that just didn't sit right with him_. Warren seriously doubted that the meeting was in regards to the cameras being set up in Maxville, or the terms that the media had discussed to interview the Commander and Jetstream, especially since they'd all been accepted.

"Good morning. I have an appointment to see Sarah," Layla told the receptionist at  _Labyrinth_.

"Just one moment," she replied, pressing a button on her headset. "Sarah? You have an appointment with... your name?" she asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Layla Williams," she replied quickly.

"Layla Williams?" There was a brief pause as she listened to whatever Sarah was saying on the other end of the line. "Oh, of course. I'll send them right through," she said, pressing the same button to hang up. "If you'll go straight to the end of the hall and turn left, the owner is expecting you."

 _The owner? Why not say the woman's name_?! Warren wondered with a brief frown.

"Thank you," Layla said, heading down the corridor to the indicated office.

Warren was a step behind her, despite his reservations, and as she entered the office, she took his hand in her own.

"Hello, Layla. Warren, I'm glad you could make it."

Layla frowned in confusion, seeing that it was Honey sitting in the office rather than Sarah.

"You look confused to see me sitting here," Honey said, grinning.

"I thought you said that Sarah was the owner of  _Labyrinth_?" Layla asked.

Beside her, Warren lit up his arms, glaring at the woman menacingly.

She just smiled, not looking at all fazed by his flames. "I tell everyone that. It's a tactic that's saved my life more than once, and I don't intend on stopping any time soon. You're now two of five people who know who the true owner of  _Labyrinth_ is, and I trust that you won't tell anyone else?" Honey asked, looking between them.

"How did you know my name?" Warren asked, not willing to agree to anything - even verbally - when this woman knew who he was before he'd even been introduced.

"I am a seer. Your name was one of the easier things to find out," Honey said with a slight grin.

"Why are you being so open about this? Don't you need to protect your secret and super identities?" Layla asked, suspicious and just plain confused.

"Considering just who you are, what you will be to me, and who I hope to be for you, there is going to be very little need for all of that secrecy."

"What?" Warren asked, his confusion far too evident in his expression.

Honey's smile slipped, and she sighed softly, rubbing her temples for a moment. "This would be so much easier if you could see everything that I see," she murmured. "If you could sit down while I try to gather my thoughts, I'd appreciate it... And please don't power up if you can help it, the upholstery's new," Honey added with a brief frown.

Curious, Layla moved to sit down on one of the chairs. Warren took a moment to follow, his flames extinguishing after a few moments of wrestling with his emotions.

"I can only tell you so much, because if I detail too much of the current future, then the present may be altered because of it, and then the future I see may not come to pass," Honey said, licking her lips and trying to think of a delicate way to encompass everything she knew could convince them to trust her. "At the moment, you're thinking of who to recruit as permanent markers. It is vital that you start to recruit by the end of the year. In the future, you will have an entire hierarchy of super villains and would-be villains that will be run from your secret sanctum, the Hive. The Hive needs to be finished sooner rather than later so that you can continue your work without raising too many suspicions."

Warren was about to tell her what a load of bull she was spouting - even if she did know about the permanent markers and secret sanctum - but Honey looked directly at him and continued.

"Your mother will be safe. Her future is uncertain, as it is unlikely at this moment that she will become a villain, but she will always be safe, and she may be persuaded eventually."

Warren felt a tightness leaving his chest - one that he hadn't even been aware of until this very moment - and felt some of his suspicions lessening towards Honey.

"My name is Hourglass; it is an immense pleasure to meet both of you, and I cannot wait to start working with you," Honey finished, sounding genuine and just a little shell-shocked, as if they were celebrities and she was their biggest fan.

"You're starting to freak me out, Hourglass," Warren said, but grinned nonetheless.

"My apologies. It's just... I've seen so much of you two for so long that it's actually hard for me to believe that you're real and you're both sitting here in front of me!"

"You're going to have to stop there, or I'll be curious enough to ask about what you've seen," Layla said.

Honey nodded, sitting up a bit straighter. "Of course. I mainly wanted to introduce myself to you. I'll give you my business card, but don't worry, I'll call you when the time's right," she added with a knowing smile.

Taking the offered card from Honey, Layla simply stared at the small rectangle for a moment.

"Honey Olgestein?!  _You're_ Henry and Frieda's daughter?"

"Yes, I am... I've been trying to save my mother the pain of his adulterous ways for years, but she's never listened," Honey said with a laboured sigh.

In her very expression, Layla could see the pain of a daughter who knew exactly what was happening but was unable to stop it, and forced to watch as her mother suffered each emotional or physical blow. Then Honey smiled up at her and the moment was over.

"I'll call Sarah to show you out. I'm sure you'll both keep quiet about who I am," Honey said, calling for her assistant via the intercom.

Sarah arrived in a matter of seconds, smiling as she guided them to a side door rather than the front entrance. "Honey will call you when you're needed, or when you'll need her, don't worry about that. She's been waiting for this for years."

"So are you a super, Sarah?" Layla asked curiously.

"No, I'm not," she replied, not sounding as upset about it as some might have.

"Then why do you keep Honey's secret?" Warren asked curiously.

He'd heard of some supers working with citizens, but not in such a close proximity as Sarah and Hourglass seemed to have.

"Honey saved my life," Sarah replied with a shrug. "Besides, the pay's really good," she added, grinning a little.

"Fair enough," Warren muttered, already trying to think of the numerous ways Hourglass might have saved this woman's life.

"It was nice meeting both of you, I hope to see you again," Sarah said, farewelling them both before closing the door and returning to her office.

Layla and Warren were silent as they made their way back to the bus stop. They didn't have to wait long for a bus to arrive, as the  _Labyrinth_ offices were on the city loop, and services ran every fifteen minutes.

"What do you think?" Layla asked, looking at him when they were on the bus.

"I'm not sure what to think, honestly," Warren admitted with a slight frown.

"Neither am I," she agreed. "It's a bit overwhelming, really, and I don't think there's anything we can do with this information until a later time."

Warren nodded slightly, not knowing what else they really could do either. "I'll take you to lunch, but I want to show you something first," he said, pressing the button for the bus to stop.

When they were out on the street once more, Warren slipped his arm about Layla's waist, leading her down the street.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, glancing around and trying to get a bearing on their surroundings.

"You'll see in a minute, hippie."

She did see, sooner than a minute though. The streets hadn't changed much since she'd left, but Layla didn't know why on earth Warren was leading her through her old neighbourhood. They stopped in front of Mrs. Kibbitch's house. The street seemed to be deserted, despite the fact that it was the middle of the day.

"Okay, stand right here. No moving," Warren added, grinning at her.

"All right, I'll stay as still as a statue," Layla promised, curious enough to follow his instruction.

"Close your eyes too," Warren said, almost as an afterthought. "When I whistle, open your eyes again."

Frowning, she did as he said, her eyes closing as she waited. Warren pressed a kiss to her lips, then stepped away before she could lean into his kiss. Layla felt the vines rippling beneath her skin, a whisper in her head, softer than leaves rustling in a breeze. A whistle sounded, and she opened her eyes. A line of fire burned before her, and as she watched, the line started to move, spreading to form a small square. Then another formed, and another two, until in front of her, a fiery game of hopscotch was waiting.

"I've been practising. See if you can grow something in it," Warren said, grinning.

"Why here?" she asked, even as she tried to conjure a plant in the middle of one of the squares.

"You'll see; try again," Warren said with a nod as the small plant burned to ash.

Layla tried to grow another plant, watching as it burned too. Frowning, she tried again, and again another time. The next try stayed up for a few seconds longer, the plant hardening against the flames for a brief period.

"Close. Try again, hippie," Warren said.

Layla tried again, concentrating harder this time, shaping the stem, then the leaves, before continuing onto the flower itself. It didn't have to be a fire resistant plant, per se. So long as the stem could withstand the fire, then she could make it grow high enough so that the flames wouldn't destroy the rest of the plant.

"So why are we here?" she asked, resting between her attempts.

"Look around you, hippie. You're in the middle of suburbia, creating plants in squares of fire and no one is leaving their house or even looking out the windows."

Looking at the houses, Layla frowned slightly when she saw that he was right. All of the lights were off in the houses, no one was out and about, and no one even seemed concerned that they were lighting fires in the street.

"Suburbia is ridiculously predictable, hippie, and it's safe. In fact, it's probably the main reason the Commander and Jetstream live out here. No one cares what happens, so long as it doesn't happen to  _them_."

Grinning, Layla turned around in a circle, a hedge growing to an enormous size, a tree losing all of its' leaves, weeds in the concrete overtaking the path, a rose-bush bursting into bloom. Nothing happened from the houses. Not one light turned on, no doors or windows opened, no one yelled at them. Everyone continued on with their lives, not bothering to look outside of their mortgaged homes. Laughing, Layla moved to Warren, kissing him fiercely.

"It'll make the takeover all that much easier," Warren said between kisses, grinning at her.

Layla nodded, and as they pulled away, she noticed that eight hopscotch squares were filled with plants, swaying in the light breeze easily and not burning to a crisp.

...

Ethan sat at his desk, a book open before him, his own neat handwriting staring up at him. He touched the pages almost reverently, fingertips light against the indents and trails of pen. Inside of this book were the names of every person attending Sky High, their powers, their addresses and contact numbers, and beneath their names was enough space to list their weaknesses and strengths. The book was a black covered one, almost as if it signified just what the future held for the names written inside of it.

When he'd still had all of the files, Ethan had written the information on his computer in a form of shorthand, names and powers whispered to him from his friends reading the files, and that was enough for the time being. But as Layla had left with her red-covered book for Save the Citizen, Ethan became attached to the idea of a book, of having the knowledge available to him at the turn of a page, rather than reflecting back at him from a cold screen. He'd stayed up until the early hours of Saturday morning to write them all down, the words imprinting in his head as they were transcribed on paper.

A knock on his door had Ethan closing the book quickly, one of his textbooks covering the incriminating book.

"Yes?" he called.

"Oh, you're up now. Are you all right, Ethan? It's almost one in the afternoon," his mother, Anita said, opening his door to look inside.

"Fine, mum. Just needed some more sleep," Ethan replied with a quick smile.

"You must be going through another growth spurt," Anita said, smiling at him. "Well, come downstairs when you're ready and I'll make some lunch up for you, okay?"

"All right, thanks."

She closed the door as she left, and Ethan ran a hand over his face, his heart racing. The lies had come so easily, pouring out of his lips without thinking, and he didn't even feel guilty about it. He had gotten away with lying to his own mother, and Ethan felt a terrifying sense of pleasure at the thought, wondering just what else he could get away with.

...

Whistling to himself, Zach made his way downstairs, a grin on his lips when he saw his little sister playing with her matchbox cars at the foot of the stairs. He waved to get her attention, and she looked up at him with bright blue eyes.

"You need to move, Heidi, or someone might trip over you," he said, careful to enunciate his words so she could read his lips.

Smiling up at him, Heidi signed that she was fine and he shouldn't worry. Nonetheless, she still moved to the lounge room, her car moving along the walls gently. Zach hurried after her, making as much noise as possible so that her actions weren't seen by their parents.

"Fucking hell, Zach! Do you have to make such a damn racket?" his father yelled from the kitchen.

"Sorry, dad," he called back, moving to switch the TV on and sit beside his sister.

Heidi snatched the control from him, turning the subtitles on. Zach grinned at her, signing that she was too quick for him. She laughed, the sound deeper than it should be, but to Zach it was one of the most wonderful laughs in the world, and never failed to make him smile.

"Zach, I'm going out now. Would you take your sister out to get some new shoes? Your father needs his rest for tonight's shift at work, so make sure you're both quiet when you come back," his mother said, looking into the lounge room to see them.

"Yes, mum. Can you take us now? I'll be real quick," Zach promised, already standing up.

"All right. Heidi, you need to get new shoes. Zach will be taking you to the shops," she said to her daughter.

Heidi didn't look happy at the idea of going shoe-shopping, but brightened at the news that her older brother would be taking her, and hurried from the room.

"I can spare twenty dollars, but no more. If it's over that, then use some of your pocket money, and I'll pay you back next pay packet," his mother said, holding out a twenty dollar note to him.

"Right, thanks," Zach said. "Won't be a minute," he called, hurrying upstairs to get changed.

Putting the money in his wallet, Zach changed out of his pyjamas into more acceptable clothes for wearing outside, and hurried downstairs, making sure to grab his wallet on the way.

"Finally. Come on, I'm running late now," his mother muttered, hurrying outside.

Zach guided Heidi out to the car, making sure she had her belt on as their mother pulled out of the driveway. Twenty minutes later, they were standing outside of the local mall, Zach double checking that Heidi had her hearing aid on.

"I'm fine, I can hear you," she said, waving off his concern.

"What if I talk really soft, like this?" Zach whispered, grinning and pulling a face to make her laugh again.

Heidi shook her head at him, smiling nonetheless, her hand slipping into his as a large group of people came out of the mall, loud noises filtering out of the doors. Zach squeezed her hand gently and led her into mall.

"I've seen some bright pink shoes in the shoe store, do you want them?" he asked, knowing how much his sister hated anything that made her seem girly, pink definitely at the top of that list.

"I want blue. Or green. Or yellow. But not your yellow," she said, crinkling her nose at his neon yellow shoes.

"There's nothing wrong with my yellow," Zach replied, mocking offence.

"Yes, there is," Heidi said seriously, grinning a moment later.

"Ah, you brat. Come on, let's go find your blue or green shoes and get out of here. I'll buy you lunch if you..."

Heidi blinked in surprise when Zach stopped talking abruptly, her hand moving up to her hearing aid to see if it was still working. She could hear the rest of the noise in the mall though, so figured that  _something_  must have made him stop talking. Looking in the direction he was looking, Heidi saw the reason, her hands clenching at the sight of the purple-clad girl across the mall. Magenta was coming out of a store with Will, his arm around her waist. The girl who had broken her brother's heart - the very same one who refused to go to the mall because she hated it so much - was right there, and Heidi wanted nothing more than to slap her for hurting  _her_ brother and for being a fake hypocrite.

Magenta must have realised that they were both staring at her, because she looked across the mall, her face paling on seeing them. She tried to turn away, to get away from their stares, and Heidi growled low in her throat. Overhead, the fluorescent lights flickered violently until they shattered completely, pieces of glass and hot plastic showering down on the gathered shoppers below.

Swearing softly - but loud enough for Heidi to learn a new curse word or two - Zach took her arm and led her away as quickly as he could.

"Shouldn't have done that, Heids," he whispered carefully.

"She hurt you, why shouldn't I?" Heidi replied angrily, wrenching her arm away from him.

"Because we're in public, and shit like that will get us into trouble. Will's the son of the Commander and Jetstream, and I don't want to go to gaol for taking the rap for you. I'm dealing with them, okay? It was just a surprise to see them in the mall," Zach said, leading Heidi to the back of the shoe store.

"That little punk's the son of the Commander and Jetstream?" she scoffed, but his face was pale enough to attest his words.

"Come on, let's just get you some shoes, okay?" Zach murmured quietly. "They'll think that I did it, and I'm fine with that. So long as you don't get into trouble, it's nothing to worry about, understood?"

Heidi nodded, but felt a little guilty at the thought of getting her beloved brother into trouble for her own loss of control.

"Wait, you said you're dealing with them... How are you dealing with them?" she asked, even as she dutifully sat down on the stool and tried on a pair of blue shoes Zach offered to her.

A pair of security guards walked past the store, their walkie talkies making a sound of interference as they called the store's medics to look after the people who had been injured.

"These are actually really good shoes," Heidi said, looking down at her feet in them.

"Really? Oh, hey, go me," Zach said, grinning at her. "And they're only fifteen bucks too. All right, walk around the store, see how you go in them. Might need the next size up," he mused.

Heidi stood up, flexing one foot at a time before walking up and down the aisle. Zach was surprised to realise that his sister was taller than his shoulder;  _he was sure Heidi had been shorter than that only last week_!

"They're good, and they've got growing room," Heidi said, smiling at him.

"Cool. Let's go then; the next bus shouldn't be too far off."

"I'm hungry," Heidi said as they went to the front counter to pay for her new shoes.

"What do you feel like? Food court?" Zach asked, opening his wallet and pulling out the twenty to pay for the shoes.

A few medics ran past, bulky bags in their hands, and Heidi paled slightly, shaking her head.

"I don't want to eat here," she said, her hand slipping into his again.

Zach faltered for a moment. He didn't really want to eat there either, but the mall wasn't as close to the city centre and the rest of the food places as he'd like. In fact out here the only place that was nearby was  _The Paper Lantern_.

"Oh, I know where we can go," Zach said, grinning. "And if I play my cards right, we might get a free meal."

"Zach?"

He turned on hearing his name being called, a silly grin on his face when Zach saw that it was Ethan. "Hey, man. What're you doing here?"

"Needed some new notebooks for school, so Mum dropped me off about half an hour ago," he said, holding up his shopping bag to reveal the various coloured notebooks in his bag. "What about you?" Ethan asked.

"Heidi needed some new shoes, and we're just about to go to  _The Paper Lantern_ for lunch. I'm going to see if I can scab a free meal off Warren," Zach said with a grin. "Want to come?"

"Okay," Ethan said, a light blush on his cheeks.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Heidi asked Zach, grinning broadly.

"Yes, he is, now be quiet or I'll exchange these for that Barbie-pink pair," Zach muttered.

Heidi blanched at the thought and went quiet, quickly following her brother and Ethan out of the store's side entrance.

"Did you see the lights blow up?" Ethan asked on their way out. "Will jumped on a couple kids and saved them from being hurt. He's probably going to have to give a statement to the media," he muttered with a grimace.

"You don't like him either?" Heidi asked, delighted with her brother's boyfriend already.

Ethan seemed surprised at her question, but gave a brief nod, as if he hadn't been aware of his dislike until it had been pointed out to him.

They walked along the streets quietly, passing an old house with a sold sign and a large picture of future apartment blocks stuck on the front fence. Walking the last few metres up to  _The Paper Lantern_ , Zach called out to Warren and Layla, who he saw walking up to the side of the restaurant. They both turned around at his call, waiting patiently for them to join them.

"Hi Zach, Ethan. Hi Heidi," Layla said with a smile, remembering Zach's sister from when she'd seen her at his house during their last study group.

"Hi Layla. Are you all right?" Heidi asked Warren, indicating to the white-knuckled grip Layla had on his hand.

"Fine. What're you all doing here?" Warren asked, looking between them.

"Came to see if we could get some lunch," Zach said, grinning.

"Sure, shouldn't be too busy in there yet. I'll check the reserved tables and see if we've got one available," Warren said, going into the restaurant and holding the door opened for Layla.

She smiled at him, thanking him quietly and waiting as the others joined her in the foyer. Mrs. Woo called out to Warren when he opened the reservation book, and he replied to her in Cantonese, scribbling something in the book.

"You've got table 20. Someone will be out in a minute to get your orders," Warren added, nodding over to the table that he'd booked for them.

As they walked over to the table near the back of the restaurant, Warren went into the kitchen to get ready for his shift.

"So why are you here instead of the shopping mall?" Layla asked, looking to the bags they were all carrying. "Surely there's Chinese food in the food court?"

Ethan shrugged, Zach reddened slightly, and Heidi looked at the table, the light overhead flickering.

"Did something happen?" Layla asked, looking between them curiously.

There was a moment of silence, an awkward pause filling the air.

"Magenta was at the mall with Will. I overreacted and made the lights explode," Zach said.

"I didn't know you could make lights explode, Zach," Layla said in surprise.

"He can't," Heidi said quietly. "It was me; Zach's just covering for me."

"So you can light up, and Heidi can affect lights?" Ethan asked, grinning slightly. "Does that mean you can turn Zach on and off like a Christmas tree, Heidi?"

Heidi's eyes widened at his question and she laughed behind her hand, Zach shaking his head with a grin.

"Hey, what do you lot want to eat?" Warren asked, coming over to the table with notebook in hand.

"Since when do you take orders?" Layla asked, trying not to grin.

"Since I let my friends in the restaurant half an hour before opening time," he said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, I don't have all day."

They gave their orders, Warren leaving back to the kitchen to cook.

"So will you be going to Sky High, Heidi?" Layla asked.

"Hope so. Still have to wait three whole years," Heidi muttered sourly.

"I'm sure it'll fly by," she replied assuringly.

"I hope so. I have to show Zach up somehow. Stop kissing Ethan before lunch, Zach. You'll ruin your appetite or something," Heidi muttered, nudging her brother with a grin.

Layla laughed, and Zach pulled away from Ethan reluctantly.

"When you start dating someone, I'm going to go around and bug you about kissing them too."

Heidi rolled her eyes at her brother, but her response was stopped by Warren serving their food. He indicated for Layla to move further down the booth, sitting next to her.

"Mrs. Woo's letting you eat lunch with us?" she asked in surprise.

"She really,  _really_  likes you. Something about brightening up the flowers, which you're not meant to do outside of Sky High," Warren added with a bit of a smirk, handing her a pair of chopsticks.

"Oh, stop it. It just looks sad when the daisies aren't straight," Layla muttered, the flower on their table adjusting itself accordingly, as if to prove a point.

They ate, snippets of conversation breaking the silence every so often. Eventually, Mrs. Woo called for Warren to start his shift, and he took their empty dishes to the kitchen, leaving them to continue talking.

"So why were you here, Layla?" Heidi asked eventually. "Do you always come to Warren's work?"

"No, not always. I went to the bank this morning, and was going out this afternoon before heading back to my Great Aunt's house. I was actually going to organise a study group for tomorrow, if you and Ethan are interested, Zach?"

"Yeah, who's place this time?" Zach asked.

"It's my turn," Layla said with a grin.

"Then we'll go to mine next, Warren's after that, and Zach's last, before starting all over again, right?" Ethan asked.

Layla nodded, and started discussing one of the assignments she had for Mad Science. Heidi didn't participate in this conversation, frowning slightly as she glanced to her brother. Zach obviously hadn't told their parents about his relationship with Ethan, but she wondered if he'd told Ethan and his friends  **why**. She resolved to make sure that Zach wouldn't be hurt when the truth was revealed to their parents.

...

End of the twenty-fifth chapter.


	26. Chapter 26

The workers at AAA Contractors nodded to Layla as she passed them to get into the Mayor's office. They were working on installing the cameras as part of the deal with the media and journalists, and all manner of fibre optics, cords, and electricity lines were exposed.

A group of people had tried protesting and picketing over the installation of the cameras throughout town, stating that they were an act against their freedom and civil rights. Their picketing had eventuated in the Mayor giving a speech to citizens, stating exactly what the cameras were, and how they would only be used by the media in order to gain footage during a fight between supers.

Layla had written the speech herself the night before the Mayor had given it to the press, and she was fairly proud of the fact that she'd included answers to questions she thought the reporters might ask. Some of them had been asked, some hadn't, and others that she hadn't even thought of had been asked, but overall, Layla was proud of the work she'd done. Nina had hugged her in congratulations, murmuring something in her ear about asking for a pay rise since she'd done so well for her first battle with the public.

Making her way upstairs, Layla stopped in the kitchen area to put her food in the fridge. In the corner, the TV was broadcasting the Mayor's speech, the last few questions from reporters and the public, and his response.

"The last of the cameras should be installed by the end of the month, a few test trials will be done, and then we'll make sure that the press have the combinations when the time comes to use them properly. Hopefully it will be a long time between battles," the Mayor said, smiling at the cameras.

With the speech finished, Brian Anderson of  _Channel Five_  appeared on the screen once more, continuing with the regular news broadcast for the evening.

Turning the TV off, Layla left the kitchen and headed to the office where  _The Monster_  was. She'd specifically asked the Mayor to continue with  _The Monster_ 's filing, not wanting someone else to ruin the work she'd done, and he'd agreed, so long as it wouldn't interfere with her job as his PA. Now that everything was up to date, it was much easier to maintain the filing system, and the tray of paperwork that had been left in the office was filed away in under ten minutes.

Going over to her desk outside of the Mayor's office, Layla looked inside the dark room briefly. Another version of  _The Monster_  was sitting inside his office, this one held under lock and key that only the Mayor himself could access. It was the worst kept secret in the Mayor's office, and everyone seemed to know that the villain's watch list was inside that filing cabinet. As the cabinet was a large four-drawer one, almost as tall as herself, Layla highly doubted that the villain's watch list was the only thing inside of the cabinet. Over the weeks, she'd asked a few questions here and there, and everyone seemed to have their own theory as to what else the cabinet held, but nothing concrete enough to speculate on properly.

The phone on her desk rang, startling her, and she picked it up on seeing the number for Dave, the security guard downstairs.

"Hi Dave," she said cheerfully.

"Hi Layla. One of the guys from AAA Contractors wants to talk to you, something about a message for the Mayor. Want me to send him up?"

"Yes, thank you, Dave."

"No problem," Dave said, hanging up the phone and giving the worker a temporary swipe card to access the top floor of the building where the offices were.

Looking over to the lift when it opened, Layla was surprised to recognise Patrick, the owner of AAA according to their website, walking out and over to her.

"Layla, right? Dave said you were expecting me," Patrick said, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Yes. You're Patrick? From the AAA Contractors website?" she asked with a grin, shaking his hand.

He frowned slightly, and Layla realised her error in shaking a super's hand without knowing their power first, or at least protecting herself (as the Commander had done that night, thick gloves repelling anything they might try to do, despite all being freshmen at Sky High). She pulled her hand away quickly, but it seemed to be enough, Patrick's eyes almost rolled up in the back of his head, words pouring from his throat without him seeming aware of them.

"Layla Williams. Mother, deceased. Father, unknown. Only known living relative, Greta Auden. Adulterer, civilian..."

The words finished flowing there, almost as if forced to stop, and Patrick straightened up, giving a slight cough.

"Sorry, I forgot to put my gloves back on. As you can see, skin-to-skin contact becomes a bit of a problem when I meet new people," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "If you'll allow me to shake your hand again, I can promise it won't happen now," Patrick said, holding out his hand once more.

A whisper of the vine under her skin gave Layla a sense of protection, and she knew that even if Patrick was lying, she wouldn't be quite so vulnerable this time around. Cautiously, she shook his hand and waited for a reaction. Patrick gave a grin at her expression.

"Told you. It only happens the first time around. Unless I decide otherwise," he added with a shrug.

"All right then... Dave said you had a message for the Mayor?"

"Yeah, that's what I told him. It's for you actually. I just had to make sure you were actually my customer by the same name," Patrick said, slipping his gloves on easily.

Not entirely pleased with his methods, Layla crossed her arms and waited for his message.

"I just wanted to let you know that everything's ready to be done, I just need those two forms with the Mayor's signature for the above and underground work. Also, just in case you were wondering, I am completely neutral and my services offer complete confidentiality. So long as I get my money, I don't care if you're the next Baron Battle. Once the job's finished, all of the paperwork is destroyed on my end. I suggest you do the same."

Under her skin the vine rippled, and Layla immediately knew that she could disable the internal cameras with one burst of power, a vine wrapping around his neck and squeezing, long before Dave could get to the top floor to stop her.

"Thank you for your suggestion, Patrick. I'm sure I won't need to do anything quite so drastic, but I appreciate your honesty," Layla said, carefully manoeuvring her way around the minefield of words, words that could incriminate her if taped or repeated.

He just nodded in response. "It's form SW100 and SW101, and you need to attach both proposed designs to the forms for the Mayor to look over before he signs them. Once you get those to my office, along with the initial deposit, we'll get started."

"All right. I'll try to get those forms signed and send them to you by the end of the week."

"Look forward to it. I'll email you the bank details so you can transfer the deposit."

"Thank you, Patrick."

"You're welcome. Have a good night, Miss Williams," he replied cheerfully, heading back over to the elevators.

When he was gone Layla went to  _The Monster_ , looking for the two forms she needed to get signed. She just had to think of some way to distract the Mayor so he wouldn't notice that the forms were different than the usual ones she gave him.

...

"Zachary Brighton! Get your fucking ass down here right now!"

"Coming, Dad," Zach called back.

He left his room quickly, trying to think of what he might have done wrong to make his father sound so angry. He couldn't think of anything in particular, but there was a brick-like feeling in the pit of his stomach that his father had somehow found out about Ethan.

"You called me?" he asked, stepping into the lounge room. His throat was as dry as a desert, a direct contrast to his sweaty palms, and his heart was racing so fast Zach was sure that it could be heard over the noise of the TV.

"Don't act all innocent with me, boy. I know what you've done! Did you honestly think you could fucking hide it from me?! It's all over the fucking news!" Mr. Brighton yelled, indicating to the television screen.

Somewhat glad that it wasn't about Ethan, Zach was still apprehensive as looked to the screen. Brian Anderson, the  _Channel Five_ reporter, was standing in front of the Maxville Mall. Will was standing beside him, his arm around Magenta's shoulders, and he was answering the reporter's questions about what had happened. Apparently, it was too difficult to keep from smiling at the attention he was receiving, because the grin on Will's face seemed almost as big as the screen itself.

"You blew up the lights in the mall, didn't you?" his father asked, distracting Zach's attention from the screen. "Don't fucking try to deny it!"

Zach opened his mouth to do that very thing, but saw the look in his father's eyes and realised that even if he did deny it, his father wouldn't believe him anyway. But he didn't dare get Heidi into trouble or reveal her power to their parents, so he stayed silent.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Mr. Brighton demanded.

"Nothing, sir. I did it, like you said," Zach replied.

His father's fist connected with his ribs sharply, the pain spreading as Zach clutched at his body, tears in his eyes. He didn't dare drop to the ground as he so desperately wanted to, knowing all too well that he'd be kicked. Another three punches were delivered to his ribs and stomach, and then his father turned away abruptly, a look of disgust on his face.

Still clutching his body, Zach left the lounge room and made his way upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him. He collapsed on his bed, his eyes watering and his body glowing with his pain. His bedroom door opened slowly, and Zach opened his eyes blearily to see Heidi waiting there. He sat up and managed to grin brightly, waving her over. She slipped into his room, her fists clenched and unshed tears in her eyes. On his bedside table, his lamp shook violently.

"Heids, calm down," he said, gathering her into a hug. "It'll be fine, okay? Don't worry, and try not to blow anything up," Zach said, grinning slightly.

"Not funny, Zach. Why can't I use my power?" Heidi asked. "He'll deserve to have a few lightbulbs blown up in his face!" she growled.

"If you use your power then you'll be sent away to the country. You know that our folks can't afford another tuition."

"I know, and our aunt and uncle aren't the welcoming kind to supers," Heidi said, sighing as she remembered the cold treatment Zach had been given this past summer. The lamp stopped shaking, and she hugged him back carefully. "I'll try to be more careful next time."

"You said that last time, brat," Zach said with a small chuckle.

The action made him gasp in pain and Heidi shook her head at him, indicating for him to get into bed. When he was lying down flat on his back, she covered him in a blanket and left Zach to sleep.

...

Warren frowned slightly when he saw Will walking over to their lunch table. He nudged Ethan's chair with his foot slightly, and the boy stopped talking with Layla about the student files immediately, scooping a large spoonful of pudding into his mouth.

"What do you want, Stronghold?" Warren asked, glaring at him.

"I want to talk to Zach," Will replied, turning to look at the blonde boy.

"Me? What for, man? You haven't spoken to me since you and Magenta betrayed me," Zach said, scoffing at the very idea of them  _talking_ about anything.

"You burst those lights in the mall on the weekend, didn't you? We  _both_ saw you there, so don't try to deny it!" Will said, his cheeks red at the mention of betrayal. "You could have seriously injured innocent people! All for what? To get revenge on Magenta and me?" He took a breath, continuing before Zach could say his piece. "Don't you dare try to attack her or me again, or you'll regret it!"

The cafeteria was silent, the entire student population watching them intently. A loud scraping noise sounded as Warren stood up, the chair legs harsh against the cafeteria floor.

"You threatening him, Stronghold?"

Will faltered for a moment, unsure as how to respond. "He almost hurt Magenta. In public! There were innocent citizens around!"

"Are you more concerned about Magenta or the citizens?" Ethan asked in confusion.

"I... He... It's... She..."

" _Who, what, where, when, why, how_... Make up your mind, Stronghold. It's not that hard! You're either threatening Zach for  _almost_  hurting Magenta or for  _almost_  hurting the citizens. No one died, and the only person who was revealed to have superpowers was yourself, so I really don't see what the problem is," Layla said, rolling her eyes. "Unless, of course, you're far more upset at the fact that  _your_ superpowers were revealed?"

Will's cheeks went bright red, and he tried to stammer out something that no one quite heard. He eventually found his voice again, and glared at the four of them. "Don't do that again, or you'll be dealing with me  **and** my parents," Will threatened, turning to leave.

"Tell me, Will... Have you told your parents that you don't want to be part of the Stronghold Three yet?" Layla asked, smirking slightly when his entire body froze mid-step.

Will forced himself to keep walking. He made his way to Magenta, but couldn't decipher her expression as to whether she was annoyed or pleased that he'd stood up for her, and simply sat down beside her without another word. Conversations started up again, a few people glancing at Will and Magenta surreptitiously.

"You didn't have to do that, Will," Magenta said, looking down at her tray.

"Yes, I did. You're my girlfriend, and I totally had to do that," he replied certainly.

She smiled briefly, her free hand slipping into his as she returned to her lunch.

"Well, that was fun," Layla said, grinning. "You going to sit down now, Warren?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Going outside to cool off. Coming?" he asked.

"Sure. You two coming with us?" Layla asked.

Ethan blinked in surprise, but Zach nodded quickly and stood up. Realising that he was going to be left alone at the table if he didn't follow them, Ethan grabbed his bag, what was left of his lunch, and hurried after them.

"How do you cool off exactly?" Ethan asked Warren, frowning briefly.

"Without a bucket of ice, I don't," Warren said with a shrug.

"I've got a cooler temperature, if you think it'll help," Ethan offered.

"Not sure that it will, but thanks anyway, Popsicle."

"Just how cool are you?" Zach asked, taking Ethan's hand in his own. "Oh, geez, that's nice. You're like my own personal ice pack," he said with a grin.

Ethan rolled his eyes, whacking Zach's shoulder. The pained noise he made in response had them all stopping in confusion. Ethan frowned, knowing that his pitiful hit wouldn't have been the cause of such pain.

"What's wrong, Zach?" he asked immediately, stepping towards him.

"N-nothing. Just fell over on the weekend," Zach replied quickly.

"I call bullshit," Warren said. "Tell the truth, glow stick."

A vine slithered up, lifting Zach's shirt until the four large fist-shaped bruises were revealed. Zach pushed his shirt down quickly, glaring at the three of them.

"Leave me alone," he hissed, turning and leaving as quickly as he could.

"What... What the hell was that?" Ethan asked, blinking in surprise.

"Come on, let's go after him. He might fall off the edge of the school," Layla said, going after Zach before the other two could reply.

Ethan was a step behind her, and Warren followed them. The sight of the four large bruises replayed over in his mind. He had seen the faint yellow outline of other bruises on Zach's chest, indicating all too clearly that this wasn't the first time he'd been hurt. Warren's fists lit up in a burst of flames, anger flowing through him in a hot white wave of power.

When they finally caught up to Zach, they were as close to the edge of the school grounds as they dared to go. Ethan gulped slightly as the wind pushed at them fiercely. Zach didn't move, but didn't look at them either. As they waited in the silence, Layla grew an arnica plant, a bunch of yellow daisy-like flowers blooming in front of her.

"Ground these down and put them on the bruises. They'll help," she promised quietly, handing him the flowers.

Zach took them without a word, but he leaned his head against Layla's shoulder, his hand slipping into Ethan's gently.

...

"Mr. Mayor? There's some paperwork that needs your signature, please," Layla said, offering the large stack to him before he could leave for the day.

" _Some_ paperwork?" he echoed, staring.

"Sorry, Mr. Mayor. It's all last minute financial requests for election signage, advertising, TV spots, etc. If you'd like, you can leave it for later in the week?" Layla offered.

The Mayor frowned slightly, but sat down at his desk once more. "It's best to get it done now. Quickly now," he added, waving her forward.

"Yes, sir. I've also scheduled you in for three interviews over the next fortnight. One is with Brian Anderson of  _Channel Five_  news - I've asked him for an overview of the questions he'll ask you to ensure there's no surprises. Another interview is with a local newspaper:  _Maxville Metro News_ ; and the final one is with  _Maxville's Max_ radio station. They're going to play the interview twice in one day so they can reach a wider scope of listeners," Layla added, watching as he signed document after document without reading their contents.

"Excellent news about the radio station. If my interview with them goes well, get them to play it again in the fortnight leading up to the election, and I'll get the Commander and Jetstream in for an exclusive interview," the Mayor said, the last of the documents signed with a flourish.

"Yes, Mr. Mayor. If you'd like, I can also get  _Channel Five_ to put your interview online as well, so it can be seen by people who might miss it on TV?"

"Good, good. Is that all, Layla? I have an important dinner to attend to with my financial backers," he asked, looking at her as he stood up impatiently.

"That's all, thank you, Mr. Mayor," Layla said, gathering the stack of paperwork and leaving quickly.

The Mayor left his office mere seconds later, and within minutes of his departure, Layla was alone in the building. Sorting out her stack of paperwork, she went around to various desks to place the signed forms on her colleagues desks. Included in the papers were not only her forms required for her Secret Sanctum, but also a raise for Ms. Peace. Layla slipped that one in Nina's desk drawer, just in case.

...

"Caesar the Corruptible was known for: a) only wearing purple, b) being stabbed by his sidekick, c) his psychic ability, or d) all of the above?" Zach read out, frowning slightly. "Well, I'm fairly sure he wasn't psychic, so that rules out options c and d."

"In Julius Caesar's time, the colour purple was meant to signify that a person was of a higher ranking, or royal blood. Caesar the Corruptible didn't only wear purple though, despite taking his name from Julius Caesar," Ethan mused.

"So... He was stabbed by his sidekick?" Zach asked, his pen poised above his notebook.

"It was a fatal stabbing, so technically, it should say that he was killed by his sidekick. Or at least stabbed and killed," Ethan pointed out.

"Why did his sidekick stab him in the first place?" Layla asked curiously, looking up from her own work across the table.

"Apparently he made one too many sexist jokes. Lustful really didn't appreciate them, which is understandable. She went on to become a villain, and she made a fairly good name for herself - or bad, depending on your perspective. Her last fight was with the Commander, but then Lustful escaped imprisonment, completely disappeared, and no one's seen or heard from her since."

" _Lustful_?" Layla said, reminded of her thought about the Commander, Lustful, and Jetstream the week before. " _She_ was Caesar's sidekick? How'd she get to be a sidekick with that sort of power?"

"According to various sources, Lustful wasn't able to control her power properly. She couldn't turn it off, and therefore it constantly drained her. She once collapsed in the middle of a heist because she overexerted herself on another robbery the day before," Ethan said, shaking his head. "Of course, it's utterly stupid to pull off two heists a day after each other. Not only are people more wary when a robbery's just been committed, but the villains are more likely to make a mistake that might have been avoided with more planning... Unless the plan was to rob more than one bank. But there are so many external factors that can't be accounted for in the second heist, even if the first one was pulled off successfully."

"How do you mean?" Layla asked, curious to know the answer, even as the vine under her skin whispered that Ethan was  _almost_ ready.

"Well, the first one's over and done with, so that's fine. The second one, even if it's less than 24 hours later, means that banks would have tightened their security; people would be far more reluctant to go into the bank after one had just been robbed, which means less hostages and less money being deposited back into the bank; then there's also the fact that police would have already been investigating the first robbery and putting together a profile of the robbers and their M.O., which could result in a longer prison time if the thieves were caught."

Ethan's words were cut off as Zach kissed him, both of their lips curving into a grin. The front door slammed open, and Zach pulled away, looking at his work determinedly. Feeling slightly dazed, Ethan licked his lips and grinned a little foolishly at Layla, who looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"What's M.O. stand for anyway?" Heidi asked from where she was sitting on the floor watching TV.

" _Modus operandi_. It's Latin, meaning 'way of operating'," Ethan replied.

"Zach, you didn't tell me that you were having friends over," his mother said, looking at the small group with a thin smile.

"We're just studying, and it's not for the night," Zach explained quickly.

"We'll be gone before dinner, Mrs. Brighton," Layla added with a smile. "Mrs. Damsale has offered to drive me home after dropping Warren off at work. In fact, I think she'll be here soon, so we should start packing up," she said, looking to the mess of paper and textbooks that covered the table.

Warren, who had been silent ever since arriving to Zach's house, stood up and smiled at Mrs. Brighton charmingly. "Did Mr. Brighton come home with you, Mrs. Brighton? I wanted to thank him."

"What for?" she asked in surprise; Warren had barely met her husband the last time Zach had organised this study group thing, and she doubted that there was anything he could be thanked for.

His response was cut off by a knock at the door. Zach ran to answer it quickly, almost sighing in relief when he saw that it was Mrs. Damsale.

"Hello, Zach. Are they ready to get going, or do I have time to come in and meet your parents?" Anita asked with a smile.

"Uhh..."

"Excellent," she said, stepping inside and past him fluidly. "Ah, you must be Zach's mother. I'm Ethan's mother, Anita. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Mrs. Brighton looked a little stunned at her intensity, and was still reeling from the idea of Warren needing to thank her husband for something. "Yeah, I'm Zach's mum. Why's it such a pleasure?" she asked, frowning.

Anita saw a young blonde girl in the lounge room, her eyes wide as she did a cutting motion under her neck, and she realised that Zach hadn't told his mother about his relationship with Ethan. Apparently, it seemed that the relationship wouldn't be approved of even if he did tell her.

"Oh, it's just that our sons are such great friends, and I've been looking forward to meeting the woman who raised such a wonderful young man," Anita said, keeping her smile firmly in place. "In fact, I would like to invite Zach to spend this weekend at my house, along with his sister, if that's all right with you? I can bring them back on Sunday afternoon, so you have the whole weekend to yourself."

It was more than obvious that Mrs. Brighton was suspicious and wary of Anita's intentions, but the idea of having a child-free weekend seemed too good to pass up, and she found herself nodding in response.

"Lovely. Zach, why don't you go pack a few spare clothes? Help your sister, and don't forget to bring your homework," Anita said, basically pushing Zach towards the stairs.

Heidi hurried after her brother quickly, unsure how to react.

"Are you really all right with having two extra kids running around?" Mrs. Brighton asked, seeming to gain some of her senses again. "They can be kind of a handful."

"Then all the more reason for you to have some time off. My husband and I only have Ethan, so I wouldn't mind a bit of noise to fill the place up," Anita said with a quick grin.

"Ready!" Heidi said from the top of the stairs, weighed down by two large bags.

Zach shook his head and took the bags from her. "I told you I could carry my own bag, Heids. You don't want to lug around big and bulky textbooks until you have to," he added with a grin.

When he was at the foot of the stairs, Warren reached over and grabbed both bags from him, ignoring Zach's cry of protest.

"Bye, Mrs. Brighton. I look forward to thanking your husband soon," Warren called over his shoulder, leaving to Anita's car without another word.

Heidi stood on her toes, kissed her mother's cheek, and hurried out. Zach kissed his mother too, giving her a brief smile before he said goodbye and left after his sister. Ethan and Layla, finally finished packing up, thanked Mrs. Brighton for letting them study there, before going to the car too.

"Lovely to meet you; I'll see you on Sunday afternoon," Anita said with a final pleasant smile, turning and leaving.

By the time Anita reached her car, the front door had slammed closed behind her.

...

End of the twenty-sixth chapter.


	27. Chapter 27

Heidi was all too happy to help Mrs. Damsale in the kitchen while her brother and his friends studied. Anita seemed to be analysing all of them, taking in Heidi's thin frame, the way that Zach and Ethan couldn't stop grinning at each other, the secrets hidden in Warren's eyes, and the faint green tinge to Layla's skin that she couldn't quite attribute to a reflection of the girl's green clothing. Anita could  _feel_  their power, and knew deep down that things were changing, that they were all experiencing changes that had nothing to do with their biology as growing teenagers. Closing her eyes, she sent up a silent prayer to keep these children safe and happy - no matter what path they chose, if the path was chosen for them, or they fell off the path completely - and left for the kitchen, hoping that her prayer would be enough.

The moment Anita was gone, Layla turned to Ethan, drawing him into a conversation about the students at Sky High and what he thought their strengths and weaknesses were. Ethan seemed pleased at her question, starting to list off the Hero Support in their year.

"Hey, Warren? What were you going to thank my dad for?" Zach asked curiously.

"For helping me to make a final decision about permanent markers," Warren replied, shrugging.

"What?" he asked, utterly confused.

Warren just grinned and didn't elaborate. He clicked his fingers, a small flame appearing on the tip of his finger. A brief thought had the flame becoming longer and thinner. A second more of concentration had the flame curling down along his finger, lengthening until he had a long string of fire wrapped around his forearm. Zach stared at him, Warren's motion almost too casual to be believed, despite the evidence burning away before his eyes.

"Oh, you've been practicing," Layla said, a bright grin on her face at his demonstration.

Warren grinned slightly, and the fire disappeared, only a small tendril of smoke remaining. Ethan seemed inspired by his demonstration and promptly liquefied.  _Straight onto their textbooks and notepads_. At their surprised cries, he hurried to reform, pieces of paper stuck to him in various places.

"It's not coming off," Ethan said, his speech slurred by the large pad hanging from his lip.

"What?" Layla asked in surprise.

" _It's not coming off_ ," he repeated, tugging at the pages and wincing in pain.

Warren frowned slightly, reaching over to try and pull off one of the spare pages that was stuck to Ethan's shoulder.

"Ow! Don't do that, it hurts!" he slurred.

"Oh shit, oh shit. How the hell do we explain this to a hospital? Or your mum?" Zach asked, paling.

"Shut up, I'm thinking," Layla said sternly, a large leafy vine wrapping around Zach's mouth without her seeming to realise.

Warren looked at Ethan, wondering if he could burn the pages without burning him too. It was a fairly drastic action, and he figured that if just pulling a page hurt him, then burning him would be out of the question.  _But how on earth were they hurting him? In fact, how the hell were they stuck to Ethan? The paper had been nowhere near Ethan's face and shoulders... until he'd melted_.

"Melt," Warren said, blinking in surprise at his own command.

"What?" Ethan asked.

(A muffled sound came from Zach, but he was obviously asking the same thing.)

"Melt down. We'll pick the papers off you."

"But what if they've somehow become a part of him, and melt down along with Ethan?" Layla pointed out.

"Well, Ethan will just have to concentrate really hard on only melting himself," Warren said.

At Layla's words, Ethan's eyes bulged slightly, and he was now looking terrified.

"It's better than anything I can think of. Sorry, Ethan," Layla said. "Try it now. If it doesn't work, we'll get your mum and she'll have to take you to the hospital."

Ethan eeped awkwardly. There were terrified tears in his eyes, and he shut them tightly, a tear escaping. He was melted down by the time the tear hit the floor. Layla breathed a sigh of relief on seeing the pages and book that were sitting atop Ethan's melted form. Working quickly and quietly, Zach, Layla and Warren picked up the pages and book carefully. As an extra precaution, they moved them far away from Ethan as well.

"Okay, try to reform now," Layla said softly.

He did so, his hands immediately moving to check that he was all there without any pieces of paper stuck to his body. Ethan sighed in relief, flopping backwards onto the floor. There was a muffled sound, and Layla realised that she'd gagged Zach.

"You could leave him like that while we study," Warren said, chuckling.

Despite the odd sounds he made, Zach's meaning was clear enough to be understood by all. Warren just chuckled again and Layla let the vine slip away gently.

"Good idea, getting him to melt like that," Layla said, moving to sit beside Warren properly.

"Thanks."

"I heard what you said to Zach about permanent markers. Did you mean it?" she asked quietly, seeing that Zach and Ethan were otherwise preoccupied.

"What do you think?" Warren asked, smirking slightly.

Even without the sudden onslaught of pain from the vine under her skin, Layla knew that Warren meant it completely and utterly. She kissed him hard, her hand a gentle contrast by resting against his cheek lightly.

"Now... I want to see Ethan try and do that again," Layla said when they'd pulled away.

"What?" Ethan asked, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"Well, go on Popsicle, see if you can do it again," Warren said with a grin.

When Ethan looked to his boyfriend for help, Zach just grinned at him and scattered pieces of paper on the floor.

...

"Hi, Mrs. Woo. How are you?" Layla asked, smiling.

"Good, good. Not busy today, so lots of time to fold napkins," Mrs. Woo said, nodding to the large pile of plain napkins in front of her.

"Do you mind if I help? Warren's still in the kitchen, and I've already finished my homework for the night," she said, sitting across from Mrs. Woo when the woman nodded.

"You know how to fold origami crane?"

"Uh, no, I don't," Layla said with a bit of a laugh.

"It's okay. You do fan then," Mrs. Woo said, showing her how to fold a fan design with her own napkin. "Now you." she said, nodding encouragingly.

Layla attempted it, laughing a bit when the napkin fell in on itself.

"Again. Concentrate this time," Mrs. Woo said sternly.

Stopping herself from smiling again, Layla started refolding the napkin.

Almost an hour later, Warren found them sitting at the table, a mountain of folded napkins to the side. Layla had her head bent over the table, her fingers working quickly to smooth and fold the napkin before her. Across the table, Mrs. Woo was doing the same, and their synchronised motions creeped him out.

"Hippie? What are you doing?"

"Folding napkins. You were busy in the kitchen, and I had some spare time."

"You finished now, Layla," Mrs. Woo said, smiling and waving her away.

"Okay, bye Mrs. Woo," Layla replied with a smile of her own.

Warren said his own goodbye, hurrying to lead his girlfriend out of the restaurant. "You realise that Mrs. Woo is probably going to make you fold napkins every time you come in now, hippie?"

"I  _asked_  to help, Warren. You were busy cleaning the kitchen," she added.

"That just makes it even worse, now she's going to make you work for free. She didn't make you sign a contract, did she?"

Layla laughed and shook her head. "No, I'm not that naive, Warren."

"You just worked for free," he pointed out.

"I worked for the future possibility of free Chinese food," Layla corrected, grinning. "Come on, I want to go out to the Hive," she said, taking his hand.

"Fine, but only if we go back to my house to sleep. I don't want to have to go out there only to take you to your Great Aunt's before going back home," Warren muttered, the words themselves enough to make him feel tired.

"Fine by me. We've got a study group at Ethan's tomorrow anyway," she replied with a shrug.

Pulling out her phone, she text Greta to let her know that she wouldn't be home that night, and not to worry about her. Layla kept all of her texts to her Great Aunt, wanting to keep proof handy if Greta tried telling Frieda that she was being irresponsible or something equally ridiculous.

The bus pulled up a few minutes later, and they both boarded quietly, moving to sit at the back as per usual. Layla watched the scenery pass, the weeds along the side of the road flowering and wilting abruptly as she pressed her hand against the window.

"You're not meant to use your powers outside of school, hippie," Warren whispered in her ear, and she could  _hear_  his grin even without seeing him.

She laughed softly and continued with her game, looking at his grinning reflection in the window. "Can you really see Principal Powers expelling me for making a few weeds bloom?"

"No, I can't. But I bet if I set them alight, I'd be kicked off the edge of the school grounds," he pointed out.

"That would be unfair," Layla agreed with a frown.

"It's high school, and we have very different powers. You make a forest grow overnight, no one's going to complain. I set a forest on fire, it'll make front page news."

"Well now, that depends on where I grow the forest," she replied, grinning.

"The middle of the mall would be pretty disastrous for some people," he said, chuckling.

"Or in the Mayor's office."

"A school assembly."

"In a cinema."

"On public transport."

"On  _school_  transport," Layla countered with a laugh.

"In the school's anti-gravitation device," Warren said, his voice low and hot against her cheek.

"Huh. That really would be disastrous," she murmured, sounding as if she was truly considering it.

Realising that they were almost about to miss their stop, Layla hurried to press the button, the bus lurching to a stop. She almost fell off of the seat, Warren grabbing her around the waist to keep her seated.

"Thanks, Warren," Layla said with a grin.

He gave a brief nod and followed her off the bus, Layla thanking the driver.

"You're really considering a forest in the anti-gravitation device?" Warren asked as they watched the bus' tail lights disappearing in the distance.

When the bus was no longer in sight, Warren lit his hands and they walked down to the field that had a large 'SOLD' sign in front of it.

"It would definitely work, and the trees would make it difficult for anyone to repair it," Layla said.

"It would also be extremely difficult to get seeds in the actual device to grow them into trees. Magenta barely fit in there while powered up," he pointed out.

"Ethan wouldn't have a problem. He'd just have to concentrate on dropping the seeds without reforming in such a small space."

Warren went quiet, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, wow. Look how much they've done so far!" Layla said excitedly, all thoughts of forests and anti-gravitational devices fleeing her mind for the moment.

Following her to the edge of a pit, Warren looked down to see a long ladder descending down into the darkness. A vine came out from Layla's shirt and she carefully lowered it down into the pit, wanting to know just how much had been done so far. About ten metres of her vine had been lowered into the hole - she discovered that some of the tunnels had already been created - when her phone started ringing.

"Hope that's not my Great Aunt. I wasn't expecting a reply from her," Layla muttered, pulling out her phone with her free hand. "Huh. It's Mrs. Stronghold. What's she calling me for?"

"Answer the phone and find out," Warren said, shrugging.

The vine sank into the earth and Layla stepped away from the edge of the pit, answering the phone cheerfully. Warren's teeth ached at the sugary fake tone she used.

"Hello, Mrs. Stronghold. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Layla asked sweetly, ignoring Warren's pained expression at her tone.

He watched the array of emotions cross her face, but still had no idea what Will's mother wanted from Layla.  _Unless she'd called Layla to reiterate Will's threat about Zach_?

"Of course, Mrs. Stronghold. I would love to meet you tomorrow... Can it be after lunch? I have a study group in the morning, and wouldn't want to get behind in my studies," Layla said, pausing as Josie answered. "All right, see you there. Good night, Mrs. Stronghold."

"Well?" Warren asked when she'd hung up the phone, his curiosity piqued.

"Mrs. Stronghold wants to meet me to discuss Will. Apparently, she thinks that he isn't being entirely honest with her, and believes that I may know the answer. She also mentioned something about needing a woman to talk to before she starts comparing golf handicaps with the Mayor."

"What, there are no other super women for her to talk to?" he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Apparently, none that want to listen to  _her_ ," Layla said, grinning. Her grin faded as she looked back to the gaping hole before them. "I don't particularly want to ruin the contractors' work by going down there before it's ready for human habitation. I'd hate to set the work back and have to pay them more than the agreed price," she muttered.

"How long did they say it would take, anyway?" Warren asked as they headed back to the bus stop.

"Six weeks. I wanted to make sure that they'd actually started now that they've been paid," Layla replied.

"Hmm, and how long until the cameras are finished in Maxville Metropolis?" he asked.

"They're meant to be finishing this week. Looks like your mother's going to win the bet if they stay on track," she said, grinning.

"Mum'll probably bribe them to work faster with coffee and cookies just to win the bet," Warren said with a chuckle.

"It's a pretty big kitty, I wouldn't be surprised."

Warren frowned slightly as Layla started walking down the road rather than up to the bus stop. "Where are you going?" he called after her.

"The bus isn't coming for another two hours. I reckon we could walk to your house faster," she replied over her shoulder.

"You're  _serious_ , aren't you?" Warren groaned in disbelief.

"Yes, I am. Come on, it's better than sitting on those awful seats."

Muttering under his breath about psychotic redheads, Warren reluctantly followed Layla down the road.

"I've been standing for the better half of the day, hippie, my feet are already killing me without this sudden need to walk for two straight hours."

"It's not going to take two hours," Layla replied certainly. "If your feet are hurting that much, then take your shoes off. I'll keep the road soft for you," she added with a smile.

"If I stop to take my shoes off, I'm not going to keep going," Warren muttered.

Layla just shook her head and continued to walk along the road, her hand slipping into Warren's as he stayed beside her.

...

"Ethan, Zach, Heidi! Layla and Warren are here," Anita called up the stairs.

"Coming!" the chorus replied.

Smiling, Anita opened the door. She was greeted with a bright Layla and moody Warren, who was still clutching a travelling mug full of coffee and looking as if he would kill anyone who came near him before he'd finished the caffeinated concoction. He gave a brief nod and made his way inside without a word.

"Morning, Mrs. Damsale. Never mind, Warren. He was forced to walk for forty-five minutes last night. I don't think he'll ever get over it," Layla said, laughing softly. "He's also not a morning person, so he'll be unintelligible until he's finished his coffee."

"I'm intelligible, hippie. I just don't  _want_  to be," Warren muttered from the lounge room, keeping his eyes firmly closed.

Anita held back her laugh and stepped aside so Layla could come in. "I've made pancakes for breakfast if you're interested?"

"Ooh, I am!" Heidi said excitedly. "Hi Layla. Hi Warren," she called into the lounge room as she passed by to go to the kitchen.

Warren made a grunt of acknowledgement, his eyes still closed as he sipped at his coffee.

"Did I hear something about pancakes?" Zach asked, hurrying downstairs and to the kitchen with a bright grin.

"Mum usually makes pancakes on Sunday morning, not Saturday. She must be trying to spoil Heidi and Zach," Ethan said as he came downstairs and saw Layla at the entry.

"Looks like it's working," she said with a grin. "I won't say no to pancakes either."

"Maybe if we dip one in coffee, Warren would have one too," Ethan said with a grin.

Layla laughed as she went with him into the kitchen. "Not a bad idea, really. If there's a spread made from coffee, it could work."

"Here you go, kids. We've got Nutella, jams, sugar, lemon, and butter," Anita offered, a large stack of pancakes set on the table before them.

Heidi's eyes widened comically and Zach's jaw went slack at the sight of so many pancakes in one place.

"I've got first dibs on the Nutella," Ethan said, swiping the container before anyone could react.

"Don't eat it with a spoon," Anita admonished, shaking her head at her son.

"I think I'll stick with the lemon and sugar, thank you," Layla said, sitting down and taking a pancake.

Heidi looked as though she didn't know where to start, her eyes darting between everyone and everything, but still managing to keep a very careful eye on the pancake stack.

"Oh, pancakes! Wait, did I sleep through Saturday?" Ethan's father asked in confusion as he made his way into the kitchen.

"I decided to make pancakes this morning," Anita said, her eyebrow raised as she looked to their guests meaningfully.

"Right. They smell delicious, dear, as always," Richard said quickly, taking a pancake before they were all devoured.

Warren, who had finished his coffee, wandered into the kitchen and took a seat next to Layla. He thanked Anita as he took a pancake from the rapidly disappearing stack.

"You're most welcome, Warren. Does anyone want any more?" she asked, looking at each of them.

"No, thank you, Mrs. Damsale," Layla replied.

Zach shook his head, four pancakes stacked before him and half of one already shoved into his mouth. Heidi didn't look as though she heard, eating the three pancakes before her with a reverence, each piece cut up precisely and placed in her mouth carefully, as if she would never have food as heavenly as this again. Ethan shook his head, two pancakes before him. Richard was busy spreading as much butter on his pancake as he could.

"Richard, remember what the doctor said about your cholesterol. Put that butter back," Anita said sternly.

"It's already on my pancake, I really shouldn't waste it," Richard protested.

Her mouth set in a firm line, Anita swapped her plate with her husband's. Sighing at the sight of the plain pancake, Richard began to eat it quickly when Anita folded her arms, not looking at all impressed with him.

"Thank you so much for breakfast, Mrs. Damsale," Heidi gushed, finally finished her pancakes.

"You're welcome, Heidi. Would you like to go out with Richard and me today? I'm sure you'd be bored with the others doing homework. I can come back in time to take you to work, Warren," Anita offered with a warm smile.

"Thanks, Mrs. Damsale," Warren replied, nodding briefly.

"Where are you going?" Heidi asked curiously, looking between the two adults.

"We haven't decided yet," Richard said, shrugging. "Anywhere you'd like to go?"

Heidi frowned, thinking about her decision carefully. "The science museum has a new light exhibition. That'd be cool."

"All right, that's where we're going then," Anita said with a decisive nod. "I'd better get changed. I don't think the outside world would appreciate my pyjamas and bathrobe," she added with a chuckle, leaving.

Heidi left quickly, looking so excited that Zach couldn't even bring himself to tell her to be careful.  _A light display with hundreds of bulbs, and if Heidi lost control of her emotions, the display would be nothing more than a mess of glass and screams_. With his wife no longer watching over his shoulder, Richard hurried to slather the remainder of his pancake in butter, quietly adding for them not to tell Anita. Chewing it as fast as he dared, Richard left to get dressed too.

"If you're finished stuffing your face, Zach,  _some_  of us have to get to work in three hours and need to study before then," Warren said.

"What do you mean 'some of us'? Layla doesn't work weekends," Zach pointed out, slumped in his chair, his stomach feeling full enough to burst.

"The election is coming up soon, so I have to start going in on Saturdays to help with the campaign," Layla replied.

"I'll go get my books," Ethan said, standing to leave.

"You do that. I'll just have a three hour nap," Zach mumbled, closing his eyes.

"I guess I'll just have to find someone else to be my sidekick then."

At Layla's words, Ethan went completely still, and Zach sat bolt upright and stared at her.

"W-what? You want me to be your sidekick?" Zach asked, starting to grin at the idea.

"Of course I do, but only if you work for it and take this seriously. I can't have a sidekick who can't remember which part of the utility belt has an inflatable boat and which part releases a net," Layla said, rolling her eyes.

"I... I thought you'd choose Ethan to be your sidekick," Zach admitted, his cheeks slightly red at the reminder of his utility belt mishap the year before.

"I thought about it, but in the end, I decided that your light power could be helpful and would better complement my power to grow things. I don't know what kind of light rays you emit though, so that would be interesting to find out," Layla mused.

"You're going to be my sidekick, Popsicle," Warren added, grinning when Ethan's eyes widened.

"But I  _melt_. How does that complement your power? I'm probably not even strong enough to complement Paul, and he's a human hose," Ethan said, trying to sound matter-of-fact about it rather than whinging.

"Exactly, and who would be suspicious about a puddle of water? You can liquefy and stay clear, and as we recently found out, you can stick to things while half-formed," Warren said with a grin. "Besides, you're smart too, and the hippie thinks I need a sidekick who's smarter than me," he added, rolling his eyes.

Ethan's cheeks went red at the compliments, and he managed an awed 'thank you' before rushing upstairs to get his books.

"If the man could glow, he'd be brighter than me," Zach said with a chuckle. "I'll take it more seriously now," he added, getting up to follow Ethan upstairs to get his books too.

Warren looked to Layla when they were alone. "Care to explain, hippie?"

"I thought I just did? Zach's power is going to grow and change, and he'll be as powerful as any Hero. Ethan's power is still changing, and I just know that it's going to end up being something that you might need or use," Layla said.

"I mean, why tell them  _now_?"

"Zach looked like he needed an incentive to take this seriously. Now I've give him one, so he has no excuses for slacking off," she replied simply, shrugging.

"By the look on his face, I'd say that the glow stick's going to compete against the Popsicle for your year's  _Smartest Hero Support_  title," Warren said, chuckling.

"Hey, I'm fond of that title, thank you! Can Hero Support have Hero Support?" Ethan asked with a grin, coming into the room with Zach.

"I think that's where the superhero's pet comes into the hierarchy," Layla said, laughing.

"Talking donkeys, thieving monkeys, a dugong," Zach said, grinning.

"Which superhero has any of those animals, especially a dugong?" Ethan asked with a frown.

"Shrek, Aladdin... Uh, Aquaman might've had a dugong. If he didn't, he should've. Dugongs are awesome and would totally crush his enemies!"

"Not a superhero, not a superhero, shouldn't have been a superhero," Ethan muttered.

"That's not the point."

"Didn't Aquaman have seahorses and dolphins as pets?" Layla asked, frowning.

"Don't encourage them, now no one's going to do any work," Warren groaned.

"Oh, right. We'd better work," Zach said, opening his textbook and grinning at the others' surprised looks. "What? I told you I was going to take it more seriously," he said, shrugging.

"I didn't think you actually meant it," Warren said.

"Hey, I don't go back on my word. Or, at least, I try not to," Zach said.

"Good. Let's keep it that way, glow stick," he replied, opening his textbook too.

Ethan grinned, both he and Layla following suit as they settled down to study.

...

End of the twenty-seventh chapter.


	28. Chapter 28

As Josie entered her home, she found that she was  _still_  reeling from the information Layla had told her over lunch. She just couldn't understand  _why_  Will didn't want to be part of the Stronghold Three.

 _Had she done something wrong? Was he embarrassed to be fighting alongside Steve and herself? Why didn't Will think that he could tell her that he didn't want to fight with them? She was a good mother, and an approachable one, surely_?

"Hello, Mrs. Stronghold," Magenta said as Josie came into the kitchen.

"Oh, hello Magenta. I didn't know you were coming over today," Josie said, glancing at the mess in the kitchen and feeling her stomach knotting. "I'm sorry about the mess in the kitchen. It's usually much cleaner than this, but we had pizza last night and the boys were too lazy to put their plates away," she said, hurrying over to the bench to clean it properly. (She might have risen a couple of centimetres from the ground in her rush.)

"It's fine, Mrs. Stronghold. I have a younger brother, and he doesn't put anything away either," Magenta said with a wry grin.

Josie nodded absent-mindedly, already starting to clean the kitchen. "Where's Will?" she asked, her tone a little too intense to sound casual.

"He went upstairs with Mr. Stronghold. Something about a weight-lifting challenge. I didn't want to get squished by one of those weight plate thingies, so I decided to stay downstairs instead," she replied.

"Oh. Has Will finished his homework then?" Josie asked, frowning.

Magenta was silent for a long moment. "I don't think so. Sorry, Mrs. Stronghold."

"It's not your fault, Magenta. Will! Steve!" she called loudly.

A few loud crashes came from upstairs, metal hitting metal, and she finished putting the dishes away in the dishwasher when Will and Steve came into the kitchen, looking a little breathless and guilty.

"Hello, dear. Have a good lunch?"

"Fine. Will, why haven't you finished your homework?"

"Ah, well, Dad challenged me to a weight-lifting competition. I couldn't say no, Mum. I need to keep my strength up!" (He found that he could lift even  _more_  than what he'd pretended to lift at the beginning of last year, and lifting that weight 200 times was a  _breeze_.)

"Why?"

"Well, so I can... y'know, join you and Dad. Be part of the Stronghold Three," Will said with a brief grin, not understanding why she was questioning him over this.

Usually, the moment he'd made any sort of reference to his powers had resulted in hours' long conversations about the Stronghold Three; costumes, colours, names, the whole nine yards.

"But you don't want to be part of the Stronghold Three, do you Will?" Josie asked, looking at him pointedly.

"Uh, I might just get going now. Mum wants me to babysit my brother anyway," Magenta said, gathering her things quickly.

There was a long and awkward silence as Magenta packed up, and she kissed Will's cheek as she said goodbye and left, coming close to running out of the house just to escape the awful tension-filled atmosphere.

"But you  _have_  to be part of the Stronghold Three, Will. Otherwise it'd just be the Stronghold Two. And your mother and I are already doing that," Steve said, frowning.

"Who told you I don't want to be part of the Stronghold Three?" Will asked his mother with a frown.

"I figured it out myself, Will. I'm your mother, I can tell when something's bothering you," she said firmly.

"Ah, okay then. Well, it's not that I don't  **want**  to be part of the Stronghold Three," Will said, already floundering over his words and what to say.

"But?" Josie queried, giving Steve a look to keep him quiet.

"But... I don't want to be part of the Stronghold Three. I mean, you and Dad are a great team, the best in the world. But I don't want to ruin that for you. I'll be in the way, and I'd hate it if something happened because you two were always worrying about me," Will said, hoping to appease their egos as he skimmed over the real truth.

Josie was silent for a moment, thinking back to the conversation she'd had with Layla. She'd told her that Will didn't want to disappoint them.  _He didn't want to ride on their coat-tails to get by in the super world. He wanted to be his own person without being in the shadows of his famous parents any more than he already was_.

"You really mean that you don't want to be in our shadows any more, don't you, Will? We're two of the most famous superheroes in the world, and you're already trying to live up to the name and example we've set for you, aren't you?" Josie asked.

Will wasn't entirely sure that he was, or even what his mother was actually talking about towards the end there, but he nodded quickly.  _Anything to make this conversation stop_.

"You're right, and we shouldn't have done that to you. We should have considered what it'd do to you if you were brought into the Stronghold Three," Josie said, sighing heavily. "From now on, there'll be no more talk about the Stronghold Three, and while we'll be upset and worried at first, your father and I will be so very proud of you when you go out there on your own and defeat your very first villain," she said, hugging him.

"Uh, thanks Mum. You really mean it? I don't have to be part of the Stronghold Three?" Will asked warily.

"I mean it.  **We**  mean it, don't we, Steve?"

"We do? I mean, of course we do. Go out there and be your own man, son," Steve said, slapping him on the back.

"Okay then. Thanks. I'm going to go catch up with Magenta now," Will said, grinning at his parents and running out of the house before they could change their minds.

"So who's going to be the third person in the Stronghold Three now? Josie?" Steve called, frowning when his wife rolled her eyes at him and left the room.

...

"Why do you look so happy, hippie?" Warren asked her as he washed the dishes at the  _Paper Lantern_.

Everyone else had already left, leaving Warren to clean up the kitchen. Layla, who had finally finished her afternoon of working at the Mayor's office to help with the upcoming election, had slipped in through the back door to surprise him, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades and watching him relax as he turned to kiss her properly. She'd pulled away to let him finish his job and as he stacked the dishwasher, Layla told him about the lunch conversation she'd had with Josie Stronghold.

"I'm fairly certain that I broke up the Stronghold Three before they'd even begun," Layla said, grinning broadly. "They might've been a serious threat if all three of them were fighting together, but separately they'll be easier to deal with."

"You really think defeating the Commander and Jetstream will be  _easy_?"

"I didn't say it would be  _easy_. I just said it'd be easier than if it was all three of them. I was being optimistic, not stupid," she said, grinning.

"Speaking of optimism, are you staying at my place tonight?" Warren asked, smiling at her with that broad heart-melting smile she was so fond of.

"Not tonight," Layla said, shaking her head. "I haven't stayed at Greta's house for a few nights, and if I don't stay there at least once this weekend, she'll call Frieda."

"All right, I'll take you home then," Warren said, putting the last clean dish away and taking off his apron.

Layla waited patiently as he went to grab his bag from the locker area, and they left through the back door, Warren locking the door behind them firmly.

"How's the election stuff going?" Warren asked as they headed to the bus stop.

"Not bad. The Mayor seems to be getting a lot of public support in the polls, and the phones are ringing like crazy. I swear I saw your mum answering two phone calls, writing an email, and faxing someone else all at the same time."

"Doesn't surprise me," he muttered, shaking his head with a grin.

The bus pulled up, the driver nodding at them as they boarded. Layla talked more about her work as the bus trundled along, Warren watching her facial expressions and exaggerated hand movements more than he was listening to what she was actually saying. He glanced out the window and saw that Layla's stop was coming up  _very damn soon_ , and pressed the button before they missed it entirely. The bus screeched to a halt, and Layla thanked the driver as they got off the bus. She quietened down as they walked along the street, and he cringed on seeing Frieda's car in the driveway.

"If she calls me  _cutie_ , I won't be hold accountable for my actions," Warren muttered.

"There's no need for such dramatics until she brings up baby names," Layla replied firmly, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Not funny, hippie," he growled.

Layla just smiled at him and knocked at the front door, opening it carefully. "Greta, I'm home," she called.

"About time, young lady. What sort of hour do you call this?" Greta asked, coming out of the lounge room with a glare. "And you're bringing Warren into my house at this time, too?"

"Warren offered to walk me home, since he didn't want me catching the bus on my own so late at night. The Mayor's work for his electoral campaign finished later than I expected, and I didn't get a chance to text you. Sorry, Greta," Layla said demurely.

"See, Greta, I told you there was a valid reason Layla was out so late," Frieda said, leaving the lounge room with a sigh. "And it was lovely of Warren to bring you home safely. You must be exhausted, you poor dear," she added, patting his hand gently.

"I'm all right, thank you Mrs. Olgestein," Warren said with a quick smile.

"Uh-uh, not anymore. You are now looking at Ms. Frieda Ruth Bettendorf," Frieda said proudly, showing her ring-less finger.

"Your divorce was finalised already? That was quick; I thought Henry was going to take you to court?" Layla asked in surprise.

"He changed his tune," Greta said, knowing perfectly well that Layla knew why the divorce had been settled so damn quickly - Layla had been the one to force Henry into giving Frieda exactly what she wanted, after all!

"Indeed he did. I even got the Monet painting," Frieda said, smiling. "He always claimed that it was a fake just so he wouldn't have to pay higher insurance, but I got it valued last week and it's  _real_. I've got it locked in a vault until it can be donated to the art museum."

"That's very nice of you, Frieda," Layla said.

"It's the least I could do. That bastard ex-husband of mine hid the thing away in a smelly old warehouse for years, it's time the world got to see the painting's beauty once more."

"Layla's home safe, you can go now," Greta said to Warren, waving at him in a shooing motion.

"Oh, no, he couldn't go yet. The bus doesn't come for another thirty minutes, you don't want to wait outside in the cold for all that time," Frieda said to Warren, shaking her head.

"I don't mind, Ms. Bettendorf," Warren said, seeing the glare on Greta's face.

"Nonsense. Come on, cutie. We'll go into the kitchen and I'll make everyone hot chocolate. I'm sure Greta won't mind," Frieda added over her shoulder, taking Warren's arm and leading him away before anyone could protest.

From the tense set of his shoulders, Layla could tell that Warren was trying not to lose it at being called  _cutie_  yet again.

"No, I don't mind," Greta said between clenched teeth, each word sounding as if it was being forced from her unwillingly.

Layla briefly wondered if Honey was a second generation super, or if she'd tell her even if she asked.

"What sort of hold does Frieda have over you?" she asked Greta, not really expecting an answer.

"It's none of your business!" she hissed, pushing past to go to the kitchen.

 _Well, that just confirmed the fact that Frieda_ ** _did_** _have something to hold over Greta_. Layla shook her head and headed into the kitchen as well, hoping that Frieda would use soy milk for her drink.

...

Wendy was tired of always looking over her shoulder, waiting for something or someone to come up to her and tell her that her debt to Layla and Warren was due. She decided to do something about it and deliberately sat next to Layla during the next school assembly.

"Hello Wendy. Is there something I can do for you?" Layla asked, sounding pleasant but confused as to why she was sitting there.

"I want to talk to you about my debt."

"There isn't much to talk about, but if you insist," she said, shrugging. "When would you like to meet?"

"Sooner rather than later. I don't want to put this off."

"Fine. It'll have to be here at school; I have to work in the evenings. How about tomorrow after Save the Citizen?"

"Fine by me," Wendy said.

They both fell silent as Principal Powers stood up to give her speech about camaraderie and being team players. Wendy found it odd that Layla was watching and listening intently, as if she was actually serious about being a model citizen (or superhero). She'd add it to the list of questions she wanted to ask Layla tomorrow.

...

"I am very pleased to announce that the installation of the cameras throughout Maxville's metropolis has been completed in exactly two weeks," the Mayor announced with a broad smile. "Testing has also been completed in this time, so all areas of the media will now be able to record any future fights between a villain and the Commander and Jetstream in complete safety."

With his speech to the press finished, the reporters applauded briefly and then started asking questions. The questions were mostly reiterations about what the Mayor would do with the cameras (which he stressed was nothing; they wouldn't even turn the cameras on unless a fight was occurring), and if the citizens of Maxville could access the cameras during a fight for real-time images (the possibility was being worked on, but as of yet there were no current developments for this happening).

In the wings of the Mayor's office, Nina was standing with Layla, grinning broadly.

"How about you finish early tonight and I'll take you and Warren out for dinner with my winnings?" Nina offered.

It took Layla a moment to realise that Nina had won the office's bet, and the rather substantial kitty that had been collected.

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that, Nina. It's your money," Layla started to say.

"Exactly, and I want to take you and Warren out for dinner," Nina interrupted. "It's been a while since I've dressed up and gone somewhere fancy. As I don't particularly want to dine alone, I'm inviting you and dragging Warren along with me."

Layla hid a smile at the thought of Nina physically dragging her son anywhere.

"All right then, Ms. Peace. I'd love to go out to dinner with you. I'll try to finish work at seven o'clock instead of eight, would that be all right?"

"Perfect. Now, I've just got to convince my son to wear a pair of jeans that doesn't have a hole in them," Nina said with a grin.

...

"We're going to dinner, not a funeral, Mum. I refuse to wear a tux," Warren said through the door, pulling a shirt over his head.

"I'm taking you out to a nice restaurant. They won't let you in with hole-filled jeans," Nina replied pointedly.

"Fine, I'll wear pants that don't have holes, happy?"

"Leave the leather jacket at home and I will be," she replied.

"Not happening!"

"Why not?"

Warren sighed and opened the door. "Because I'm comfortable in this jacket, and I'm not compromising my comfort for some stupid restaurant that probably serves things in calorie sizes."

"I suppose that's a good enough reason," Nina said with a sigh, going to get her bag from the lounge room. "I hope you're going to compliment me in the next five minutes, by the way. It's the first time I've been able to fit into this dress in seven years!"

"Didn't think I'd seen that dress before. You look nice."

" _Nice_? Please, I look fabulous," Nina said, laughing. "Come on, let's go out," she said, kissing his cheek and heading out.

Warren wiped his cheek quickly and followed her.

...

Layla thanked the waiter as she made her way into the restaurant, the man guiding her to where Warren and Nina were already waiting.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I would have called to let you know, but I must've forgotten to charge my phone last night," she explained, sitting down on the chair the waiter pulled out for her. "Thank you," Layla said to the waiter over her shoulder with a smile.

"Not at all, Miss," he replied with a brief nod, leaving to get their menus.

"It's nothing to worry about, Layla. You were only a few minutes late," Nina said, smiling at her reassuringly. "Was there a lot to do? Is the photocopying too much?"

"Oh no, the photocopying's a lot easier now that it's all being scanned and emailed. The radio interviews that were scheduled for the Mayor tomorrow morning were changed at the last minute, so I had to sort that out. It took a bit longer than I expected."

"What happened?" Nina asked, frowning slightly.

"Apparently interviewing the actor for latest the action-romantic-comedy movie that's coming out this weekend is more important than their interview with the Mayor. They wanted to change his appointment to the Friday afternoon slot, which means he would miss a large percent of the younger voters who go out on Friday night rather than listen to the radio."

"So what'd you do?" Warren asked.

The waiter interrupted with a brief apology, offering the menus and enquiring about their drink orders. They placed their drink order and took a moment to look at the menus. Layla raised her eyebrows at the exorbitant prices for what looked to be rather small servings - if the other diner's plates were anything to go by, at least - and Warren grinned, nudging his mother when he saw that the calorie size was listed beside each meal.

"Shut up or you won't get anything," Nina threatened.

Warren wisely shut up and returned his attention to the menu, a grin tugging on his lips.

When the waiter returned, they placed their orders, waiting until he had left again before resuming their conversation.

"I ended up cancelling the appointment with that radio station and getting five appointments with their competitors instead. It might be a lot for the Mayor, but I was able to cancel the appointments for the day after, so he'll be able to relax."

"I can find the name of his favourite pampering place; it might tide him over easier," Nina offered.

"Thank you, I'm sure he'd appreciate that," Layla said with a smile.

"The Mayor has a favourite pampering place?" Warren asked, chuckling.

"Yes, it's very relaxing for someone in such a high-profile and stressful position. There are decisions that the Mayor has to make that no one knows about, let alone would ever want to make for themselves," Nina said sternly.

"Like what?" Warren asked in disbelief.

"The kinds of decisions that I don't have clearance for, but involve a lot of nameless men in black suits," Nina replied.

"Sounds interesting," Layla said, smiling brightly. "Oh, there's our food," she said suddenly, nodding over Nina's shoulder.

"Great, I'm starving," Warren said, sitting up a bit straighter.

"We've only been waiting fifteen minutes, I seriously doubt you're hungry enough to be starving, Warren," his mother replied, shaking her head slightly.

"Spaghetti fungi?" the waiter asked, serving the plate to Layla when she nodded.

Warren's chilli con carne and Nina's chicken Singapore noodles were served next, and the table fell into silence as they all ate quietly. As she twirled strands of spaghetti on her fork, Layla wondered just what sort of decisions the Mayor had to make that would involve people that - from the sounds of things - were from the Super Bureau.

...

End of the twenty-eighth chapter.


	29. Chapter 29

"Okay, final question," Wendy said, glancing at Layla to determine if she would answer truthfully. "Why the hell are you so nice all the time? I mean, Gwen was popular, but she wasn't  _nice_. She did things to get her own way, which some people mistook for her being nice, but she really wasn't."

"I know. One of the reasons Gwen wasn't suspected until the end was due to that mistake. People never expect the nice ones to do anything other than be nice. Besides, the nicer you are to someone, the more things they'll do for you without questioning it."

"Oh, that's a load of bullshit. No matter how nice you are, you can't ask anyone to do  _anything_  and they'll just do it, no questions asked!"

"I believe that you could. Within reason, obviously. I wouldn't go up to Ron Wilson and ask him to kill Will for me, pretty please with a cherry on top? But over time, it might be achieved."

"I'll believe that when I see it. Ron Wilson is Will's biggest fanboy," Wendy said, rolling her eyes.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Layla agreed with a smile and nod. "Now, if that was the final question as you said, I suggest we get back to our classes. If there's anything else you need answered, call me and we'll organise a time to meet again," Layla said, writing her phone number on a slip of paper and offering it to her.

"Sure thing," Wendy said, taking the slip of paper and trying not to let her surprise show.

"Oh, one more thing, Wendy. Don't ever sit next to me without an invitation again," Layla said.

Wendy shivered at the green glow in her eyes and hurried to nod. She'd do whatever the hell Layla wanted, so long as she didn't have those eyes turned on her again.

...

"Remind me again why we're out here planting seeds in the middle of the night?" Warren asked, sitting back on his haunches to look over at Layla.

"Because we're both working and can't come out here after school," Layla replied, continuing to drop seeds into the small holes Warren had made. "We're almost done, don't worry."

"Hope so; we've been here for two hours already. The bus'll be back soon," Warren muttered.

"Well, stop your whinging and we'll get it done quicker," Layla said with a grin, pressing a kiss to his lips before moving on.

Warren sighed and moved further along the paddock to make more holes. Layla had said that the seeds they were planting would grow into a forest that would provide enough cover to hide the Hive from any passersby. Warren had to wonder what sort of things she thought they'd be doing that would need to be hidden from anyone going past - the actual Hive was underground, after all. He glanced over to where she was humming softly, planting seeds in the middle of the night and looking so damn  _happy_ , and Warren couldn't bring himself to question her again.

...

"I've invited Frieda over for dinner tomorrow night. She's expecting you to be here, so don't go staying with your boyfriend, as usual," Greta sneered.

Layla ignored the barb and gave a brief nod. "What time is dinner planned for? I'll have to let the Mayor know if I need time off. The election is only two weeks away, after all."

"Yes, I know. It's all you can seem to talk about," Greta muttered. "Dinner's for 7pm."

"I'll try to be back by then," Layla said, though she doubted that the Mayor would let her leave before 7 o'clock just to get home in time for dinner.

He'd been exhausted after the interviews with the five separate radio stations, but the polls were showing that his popularity was higher than ever. The Mayor had been further appeased by having three days off at his favourite pampering place (the booking was helpfully supplied by Nina), and came back looking as though he'd had an entire month off. After the popularity of his radio interviews, it seemed that every media outlet in town wanted to get time with the Mayor. While he had his three days off, Layla had been run off her feet organising various appointments, all the while trying to ensure that the Mayor wouldn't die of exhaustion in the midst of it all. Layla's own exhaustion was starting to take its toll too. Just last night, Nina had stayed back at work to help with the photocopying. The woman must have seen some sort of look in Layla's eye, because she'd ordered her to stop working and have a break, close to pushing her to the staff kitchen. Layla was reluctant to stop but took the break when she realised that she hadn't stopped since arriving at 4pm, and it was already 9pm.

"Well, if you're not here on time, I'll just have to tell Frieda that your job is more important to you than the only family you have left in the world. I'm even going out of my way to make a vegetarian meal," Greta said, looking smug.

"Wow, you really want Frieda to see me as a delinquent, don't you?"

"Just trying to make her see the  _truth_. I know you're not as innocent as you act; I've seen what you can do first-hand."

"If you hadn't treated me like crap ever since I moved in here, I wouldn't have resorted to such extreme measures," Layla snapped, her eyes glancing to her mother's brooch that Greta was still wearing and flaunting in front of her.

"Oh, no, I think you would have. Eventually, you would have done it, no matter what I'd said or done. There's evil in you, girl, and I'm the only one who can see it," Greta hissed.

"Right," she drawled, unimpressed. "I'm going to bed now. Unless you think me going to bed is an act of evil?" Layla said, rolling her eyes and heading upstairs.

Greta made a screeching sound of indignation, but it soon turned into a cry of pain as phantom thorns dug into her skin. Layla smiled to herself and went to get ready for bed.

...

"Layla Williams?"

"Yes, this is Layla," she confirmed with a slight frown.

Layla didn't recognise the voice on the other end of the phone, and she hadn't recognised the number either. She belatedly wondered just how wise it had been to confirm that she was who the caller was looking for.

"The work you requested under AAA Contractors is now finished. Could you please inspect the property at your earliest convenience? If you have any issues with the work that has been done, please contact us via the number given to you on your initial quote. If you are pleased with the work, please contact us via the fax number on that same quote, and we will destroy any evidence that corresponds to your request." With that, the mysterious caller hung up.

Layla looked at her phone, blinking slightly at the abrupt conversation. She saw that there was a message on her phone from Frieda, informing her that dinner had been changed to 8:30pm instead and not to worry about leaving work early.

"Everything all right, Layla?" Nina asked.

"Yes, fine. Sorry, I thought it might have been an emergency with my Great Aunt. Turns out it was a wrong number," Layla replied, putting her phone back in her bag.

"Okay then. Do you have time to help with some photocopying, or has the Mayor got you up to your elbows in work?"

Looking between the small stack of paperwork that the Mayor had given her at the start of her shift to the large bundle Ms. Peace was holding, Layla decided that the photocopying was more important.

"Thank you, Layla. I'll help with your work if I can," Nina promised, halving the paperwork and giving her a bundle.

"It's all right, Ms. Peace; I'm happy to help," she replied, going to the second photocopier.

They were silent as the machines started photocopying, and Layla looked at the amount of paper that had been thrown in the rubbish bin, rather than the larger blue recycling bin. She muttered under her breath and sorted it out quickly, oblivious to Nina's surprised expression.

"Do you always do that?" Nina asked, nodding to the sorted bins.

"Most nights, if I have the time," Layla replied with a nod. "Maria says it helps her if I do it, and I'd rather spend a few minutes of my break sorting it than letting anything go to waste. I'm just glad that the Mayor agreed to scanning and emailing this instead of wasting paper photocopying it."

Nina nodded in response, wondering just who on earth Maria was.

They both slipped into silence as they continued scanning the documents. With both of them working on the pile, they finished in half an hour. Nina offered to forward all of the emails on to the people that had requested copies, and let Layla return to her desk. Ten minutes later, after thanking Layla for her work and help again, Nina left the office area and headed to the elevators. One opened and the cleaner came out, pushing a large cart with cleaning supplies. As she passed the woman, Nina noticed that her badge read  _Maria_. She heard Maria call out a warm greeting to Layla and then the elevator doors closed.

 _She'd seen this woman almost every week for the past six years, yet she hadn't known her name_ , Nina realised guiltily.

"Hi, Maria. How are you?" Layla asked, smiling at her as she started to clean the Mayor's office window.

"Good, good. Almost finished for the night. You?" Maria asked, glancing back at her briefly.

"I've still got another hour to go. How's your son?"

"Not bad. Not always good," Maria admitted, taking a bin from under a desk and emptying it into the large bin attached to her cart. "He is still looking for work. There's jobs here, but he thinks cleaning is below him. My cleaning helped put him through college, pah!" she said, waving off her annoyance. "He is smart, but not so smart to know that money is money, a job is a job. So long as it is legal, it is good. Pah, he will have to get a good girl to keep him in line. You sure you're happy, Layla?"

Layla snorted in laughter. "I'm very happy, thank you Maria. Besides, I don't think I could keep your son in line."

"Ah well. I will have to keep looking for him," Maria said with a grin, shrugging.

Maria swept through the office, clearing the bins and doing a quick vacuum of the floor. When she had finished, she called out a cheerful goodbye to Layla, told her not to work too hard, and left for the night.

Layla continued her work, organising the Mayor's appointments and various appearances for the upcoming fortnight and writing his speeches. She'd gone over the scheduled appointment list with Nina and then Ethan to ensure that the Mayor wouldn't be attending anything that went against his policies and promises. The more important appointments were highlighted in red, and any that could be changed or skipped entirely were highlighted in orange. Layla had also organised a full day at his doctor's during the next week to ensure that the Mayor wasn't being overworked to the point where he'd collapse. She had also included a visit to the children's ward in that day, knowing that the Mayor might refuse to go if there wasn't a publicity stunt in it. An anonymous tip to various media stations about the time and location the day before his hospital visit would cover the publicity side of it.

When her alarm went off an hour later, Layla packed up her things, locked her desk, ensured that  _The Monster_  was still locked away safely, and left the office area. Warren was waiting down in the lobby for her, Dave taking pity on him standing outside on such a cold night. Layla thanked Dave and left with Warren beside her.

"What's wrong, hippie?" Warren asked when they'd walked to the bus stop without a word from Layla.

"The Hive's ready. I want to go look at it now, but I promised Greta that I'd go straight home from work. She's invited Frieda over just to make sure that I follow through," she replied.

"Why don't you go there then, and I'll go to the Hive? I can record everything on my phone and send it to you," Warren offered.

Layla pouted slightly.  _She wanted to go and see the Hive in person too, damn it_. Sighing, she realised that a compromise would have to be made, and this probably wouldn't be the last time she'd have to make one.

"All right then. Keep an eye out for anything that doesn't look right. The electricity should be switched on already, but make a torch if it's not working yet," Layla said with a smile. "I'll text you when I get home."

Warren nodded and he grinned suddenly, moving to kiss her soundly. The vine mark on his wrist flared in pain and he let in a shuddering breath as Layla licked his lips, the pain mixing with pleasure. His hands tightened on her hips, pulling her body closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Warren heard the bus coming and pulled away slowly, his lips pressing against Layla's a few times before he could make himself stop completely. He couldn't stop from grinning smugly when he saw how dazed Layla looked.

"Talk later, hippie," he murmured, helping her onto the bus, his smug grin firmly in place.

When the bus had pulled away, Warren crossed the road to wait for the bus that would take him to the outskirts of Maxville and the Hive.

...

Warren waited until the bus was out of sight before creating a small ball of fire and heading down to where the Hive was. As he came upon the block of land, Warren stopped short on seeing the trees that had already begun to grow. They were still small considering the size they were meant to be but the trees were as tall as he was. He put the fire out and pulled his phone out, using the torch function to see where he was going properly. Warren stepped into the small forest and made his way through the trees slowly. As he walked along, Warren could have sworn that the trees were actually growing with each passing second. He almost sighed in relief when he saw that the trees ended up ahead and hurried forward.

"Fuck me," Warren swore, his jaw dropping at the sight of an actual freaking house at the end of the tree line.

If it wasn't for the honeysuckle vine that was wrapped along the porch and the hive insignia by the front door, Warren might have thought that he'd gotten lost and ended up on some neighbouring property. He saw a piece of paper stuck to the front door and made his way up the small ramp to the porch and door.

_Invoice number 91010_

_The property has been finished according to the buyer's guidelines. The company thanks the buyer for providing the wood-based materials that were used to complete the building that was agreed on at the initial signing_.

Warren swore under his breath. He knew that Layla had been tired lately, but he'd put it down to her work at the Mayor's office. Now that he knew that she'd been growing trees for the contractors to use at the Hive, Warren had no doubt that her exhaustion was due to the overuse of her power. He continued reading, seeing that there was more writing on the note.

_The work that was completed in the cellar proved to be difficult due to the tunnel system found in the surrounding area. The resulting hole has been left open temporarily. If you require it to be filled, please call us on the number provided at the initial signing, and it will done free of charge._

_All documentation regarding this invoice will be destroyed in exactly one week. Thank you for choosing AAA Contractors_.

"What the hell?" Warren muttered to himself.

Shaking his head, he figured he'd see what they meant when he went inside. Going back down the ramp, Warren swiped through his phone to open the video camera and began recording. His hand was steady as he filmed the note that the contractors had left, and then he started up the ramp again. Warren found that the porch wrapped around the entire house, and felt almost  _giddy_  ( _thankfully no one was here to witness this display of emotion_ ) as he came to the front door again and opened it to step inside.

The foyer was actually a long hallway, and Warren was sure that he could see the outside world through the windowed door at the end room. Warren flipped the light switch and the foyer filled with light, spilling into the two rooms on either side. A lounge room opened to his left, and the open door on his right revealed an empty library, complete with a fireplace. Continuing down the hallway to the other doorways, Warren found what he presumed would be the meditation room and their costume room if the display-like wardrobe was any indication. The hallway ended abruptly and opened up into a large open-plan kitchen and dining room. The dining room already had a large rectangle table, and the kitchen had an oven installed, along with an island counter in the middle. Warren took a moment to look at the kitchen properly, grinning when he saw that it was an industrial one similar to the one at the  _Paper Lantern_. His grin faded when he realised that he hadn't seen a door that led into the rooms beneath. He paused the recording, trying to remember where the hole in the ground had been when he and Layla had come before the house had been built.

Warren made his way back through the house, looking for a trapdoor, a lever or switch of some sorts to find the entrance. His frown deepened as he made his way through the house for a third time. Just when he was about to call Layla to ask if she knew where it was, Warren noticed a slight line on the floor in the library. Crouching down, he felt along the groove and found that it was actually a trapdoor. Looking around the library more carefully this time, Warren eventually found a similar piece of wood at the top of the doorway and pressed it. The trapdoor moved down slightly and slid across to reveal a set of wooden stairs. Relieved that he'd finally found it, Warren began recording again and headed down into the trapdoor.

"I'm not going to mention just how long it took me to find that damn trapdoor," he muttered.

A fireball helped him find where the light switch was, and the tunnel was soon filled with light. Warren looked down the tunnel and saw that he couldn't actually see the end of it. There were numerous doorways on both sides of the tunnel, and he grinned at the sight. Looking into the first door, he saw that it had another tunnel heading out of it.

"This is going to take a hell of a long time, so I might leave the whole thing until we're both here," Warren muttered to the camera.

He continued up the main part of the tunnel and looked into each room. Some were large rooms, others had more tunnels, and some seemed to connect to more rooms. As Warren continued walking, he realised that he could feel a slight breeze and frowned, trying to find the source. A few metres down, Warren found a room that had a large hole in the wall.

 _Well, this was probably what the note meant_ , he thought, stepping into the room to look at the hole properly.

Warren frowned on seeing the bricks and moss growing in the tunnel beyond the hole, holding his phone up to film it properly. He threw a fireball as hard as he could, watching as it lit up the tunnel, showing what looked to be an underground sewer. Thankfully there was no actual sewage flowing through it.

"We're going to need a few things to explore that properly," Warren said, heading back out to the main tunnel again.

He closed the door so the wind wouldn't bother him, and he'd know which room it was when he came in with Layla later. Checking his watch, Warren realised that he'd been in the Hive for longer than he thought, and the bus would be arriving at the bus stop in fifteen minutes. He stopped recording and sent the video to Layla, hurrying to leave through the trapdoor.

...

"I've called in sick. If your mother asks, it's a combination of exhaustion and the fact that I have an assignment due on Monday morning," Layla said.

"Right. Do you actually have an assignment due?" Warren asked, grinning at her.

"Yes, but I finished it last night," she replied, grinning back at him.

"Okay then. Ready for this, hippie?" he asked, looking down through the hole to the bricked sewer beyond.

"Ready," Layla said with a grin, turning on her torch and climbing through the hole, a rope wrapped around her waist.

Warren lowered her down carefully and then held onto the tree that Layla grew for him. He closed his eyes at it sank down towards the ground quickly, his heart racing. It slowed down suddenly, and then Warren was standing on the ground once more.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that sensation," he groaned.

Layla kissed him, grinning against his lips. "I'll take it slower next time, promise."

Warren pulled her back for another kiss, his hands hot against her hips. Layla pulled away slightly dazed and took a moment to get her bearings before turning around to survey the area. The area they were standing in seemed to be the mouth of a tunnel, but the tunnel itself was blocked up with fallen debris. The very top had a small opening, which is where the breeze was coming from. Layla briefly wondered if her decision to not call Ethan and Zach had been too rash. Ethan could have gotten through those rocks easily.

"I can try to blast through them with a fireball," Warren offered.

"No, we don't know what's behind there. If it's an actual sewer, then throwing a fireball into a methane-infused tunnel isn't going to be the best idea."

"True enough. Do you think one of your vines will fit through there?"

"Yes. But I'll need to get as close to that opening as I can," Layla said, heading over to the blocked tunnel and starting to climb.

Fifteen minutes later, she had reached the top. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Layla looked down to where Warren was waiting. He was trying not to look anxious, but she could feel his concern through her wrist's fire brand. She took a deep breath and turned to the small opening, beginning to create a vine. So far, she hadn't smelled anything other than dampness and dirt, but Layla wasn't entirely certain how much the debris blocked and didn't want to risk it anyway. The vine was fully formed now, and she closed her eyes, letting the vine snake its way though the opening and to the other side. The vine had a series of small feeler-like hairs on it that could form a rough picture of the things it came into contact with. Through her link with the vine, Layla could essentially see what it saw.

Warren forced himself to stand still as he watched Layla create the vine and send it through the opening. He wanted to do something to help, but again, he was left to the side while Layla did it all. Warren's fists clenched at that thought. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He would do what he had to do - even if that was stand to the side - until the time came when he could do what was needed. He was brought out of his musings when Layla called down to him.

"I'm coming down. You can blow it all away," she called, making her way down carefully.

"What's on the other side?" Warren asked when Layla was standing beside him again.

"I'm not sure, but it's definitely not a sewer. We'll find out together," she said, smiling at him and taking his hand.

Warren nodded and they moved back towards the Hive. He shielded Layla's body behind his as his arms lit up fiercely. She bit her lip as her wrist flared in pain, her body responding to the closeness of his with a pleasure that rivalled the pain. A coil of heat curled in her stomach as she watched his arms become engulfed in flames, the flames travelling down his biceps and forearms to turn into large fireballs in his palms. His hands often made the same trail down her body, and Layla knew how hot his hands could be even without the flames. A large crashing sound brought her out of her thoughts abruptly, and she peeked past Warren's body to see half of the debris falling away.

"Stay back, hippie. I need to take another shot," Warren murmured.

He'd felt a surge of desire coming from Layla in the seconds before he'd let the fireballs go, and was surprised that half of the debris had fallen to pieces.  _He'd only expected a third, if that, to move, not an entire half of the debris-filled wall_! Before he could light up again, Warren turned around abruptly and kissed Layla, the surge of desire coming from both of them this time. He pulled away with flame-covered arms, the fire not harming her in the slightest. She grinned up at him, licking her swollen lips. Warren let out a shaky breath, the surge of desire turning to a wave that he was drowning in. He let more power into his arms and turned around, throwing both fireballs at the rest of the debris. It exploded into pieces, Warren turning to cover Layla.

He opened his eyes, breathing heavily, his arms on either side of her head as she stared up at him with lust-filled eyes. He couldn't stop himself from kissing her again, his hands sliding down to her hips. He undid Layla's pants quickly, wave upon wave of desire washing over them. Warren slid his hand between the fabric and her skin quickly, a finger sliding inside of her and resulting in a moan from both. He fucked her with his hand, sliding a second and third finger in as she rocked her hips against his hand wantonly, her body feeling hotter than his flames ever could.

"Come on, Layla. Cum for me," he whispered hoarsely, driving his fingers deeper into her as he moved to suck on her neck, nipping at her skin to mark her as his.

She screamed his name in response, her body clenching around his fingers tightly as his ears reverberated with her pleasure-fuelled scream.

"Oh... wow," Layla breathed, her chest heaving against his. "That was unexpected, but very, very welcome."

Warren smirked, sliding his fingers out of her slowly. His wrist was sending an ache of pain and pleasure through his body, and Warren could tell that Layla was experiencing the same emotions too. He cleaned his fingers on his shirt and zipped her jeans up again carefully, his lips pressing a kiss to the mark he'd left on her neck. Layla made a sort of whimpering noise in response, and Warren pulled away with a grin.

"Ready to go exploring, hippie?"

She nodded, despite the fact that her legs were still trembling from her orgasm, and made herself walk forward with Warren by her side. He slid a hand around her waist, trying not to be too smug when she shivered against him.

"The moment we get back upstairs, I'm going to kiss you until your toes curl," Layla said with a grin.

"Promises, promises," Warren said with a chuckle against her hair.

They made their way through the tunnel silently, looking around carefully to try and see where they actually were. Eventually, they came to the source of the breeze that had been blowing through the Hive. A ladder led up to a large circular manhole, and Layla made her way up the rungs quickly, Warren behind her.

"What's up there, hippie?" he asked when she opened the manhole carefully.

"I don't believe it," she muttered, her vine helping her to push the heavy disc out of the way completely.

Layla pulled herself up out of the manhole and waited as Warren came up to stand beside her. They walked out of the small side alley and Warren stopped short on seeing the building across the road.

"Hippie? Tell me you're seeing  _Labyrinth_ , too?" he asked, seeing the sign for the newspaper on the building's front window.

"Yeah, I am. I didn't think it was that close to the Hive," Layla muttered.

"It's not in the conventional sense, I guess. But the road does twist around a lot. That would take more time than walking in a straight line."

Layla gave a nod at his practical explanation, her face lighting up into a bright smile. "I'll bet that it's not the only ladder down there. Where else do you think we can go?" she asked with a laugh, heading back down the ladder.

Warren headed after her with a grin, replacing the manhole disc behind their descent.

...

"Are you planning on getting up at all today, you lazy brat?" Greta's words were accompanied with loud banging on the bedroom door.

Layla woke up groggily, her hair sticking up at all angles, and she glared at the door. Greta's voice cut off to a gasp of pain and Layla grinned when she heard her Great Aunt finally leave. Beside her, Warren wrapped his arm around her body and pulled Layla back down on to the bed, his lips capturing hers.

She had made good on her promise to kiss him until his toes curled, but they hadn't gone back to the Hive to make out. One of the last ladders in the tunnel ended up all the way in Westville, and she had recognised a street from her usual journey to Sky High in the morning. They'd made it back to her Great Aunt's by four in the morning, both keeping quiet as Layla snuck them in through her bedroom window. The moment they were both inside, Layla had launched herself at him and kissed Warren heatedly, tugging at his shirt as he held her hips against his. He'd ended up shirtless and in a pair of boxers, while Layla's bra had been thrown somewhere across the room along with her jeans, both of them falling onto her bed for a very intense make out session. (Warren's toes had curled twice.)

"So she's calling you a lazy brat now?" he asked with a slight frown as he pulled away from her lips reluctantly.

"If it wasn't for the vines, I'm sure it would've been worse than that," Layla muttered, rolling her eyes before moving to kiss him again.

Warren murmured something distractedly, his hand slipping under her shirt. Layla pulled away from their kiss to laugh against his bare shoulder as his fingers touched against a ticklish spot. Layla put her finger against his lips when she heard footsteps on the landing again.

"I just don't know what's wrong with her, Frieda! She's not coming out of her room, and it's almost 1pm!" Greta said, the concern in her voice laid on so thick that Layla felt suffocated by it. "What? I don't care if your daughter's there, this is... No, don't put her on! I don't want to talk to... Oh, hello Honey. Yes, it's lovely to talk to you too," Greta muttered, walking downstairs with a final glower at Layla's door.

Layla looked down at Warren and tried to stifle her laughter. He kissed her, muffling the peal of laughter that escaped her.

"Come on, let's get you out of here while Honey has her distracted," Layla said, patting his chest gently and slipping out of bed.

Warren stood and stretched, grinning when Layla stared at him for a long moment, and made himself walk past her to where his shirt was sitting on the desk chair. They were both dressed (and Layla's hair tamed with a number of bands and clips) in five minutes, and left the bedroom quietly, Warren waiting at each corner until Layla signalled for him to move.

"No, there's no clouds here. Yes, Honey, I am quite sure. Because I'm looking out the damn window!" Greta snapped.

Layla and Warren hurried past and left through the front door, Layla closing the door behind them silently. She waited until she could hear Greta walking away from the window before ushering Warren down the driveway and along the street. She broke out into laughter when they were at the top of the street, Warren chuckling along with her, a heart-melting grin on his face.

...

End of the twenty-ninth chapter.


	30. Chapter 30

"All right, Warren, we're completely alone now. Will you tell me what's wrong?" Layla asked Warren at lunch.

He'd been silent and stoic all day - even to her - and had barely said more than five words, despite her efforts.

"Nothing. It doesn't concern you," Warren muttered, his eyes trained on his book.

His wrist flared up in pain a moment later, phantom thorns digging into his skin.

" _It doesn't concern me_?" Layla echoed, somewhere between hurt and pissed off. "You had better have a good explanation later, Warren," she said as the bell rang to signify the end of their lunch period.

She left without waiting for him - the first time in the five weeks since she'd joined the Hero track - and Warren didn't let himself look up until she'd gone inside and was no longer in sight.

...

Layla got off the bus in a foul mood. Warren had barely acknowledged her despite sitting next to her, and she knew his behaviour was going to eat at her until she was thinking about nothing else during her work. With the way he was acting, Layla wasn't even sure if he was going to come to pick her up after work or not. She sighed and tried to keep the scowl off her face as she headed into the building.

"Layla, oh thank goodness. You didn't break up with Warren, did you?" Nina asked, pulling her aside as she came into the office.

"No, why would I?" Layla asked, though she was thinking of his behaviour.

"His attitude this week is never good," Nina muttered. "Mind you, mine is hardly better some years."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Nina," Layla admitted with a slight frown.

"It's Barron's birthday this week. Friday, this year, in fact. Part of our divorce included visitation rights once a year until Warren's 18th birthday, and Barron chose the date as his own birthday. Warren will be going to Maxville Super Penitentiary all day on Friday. He's even got the weekend off to get over seeing his father again."

"Oh. Well that explains his behaviour then."

Nina nodded slightly. "Just cut him a bit of slack this week, okay? I'll talk to him."

"No, it's all right. I understand, and it's really all right. Thank you for letting me know, Nina, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Nina said with a smile.

"Are you all right this week?" Layla asked.

"Oh, I'll be fine. It's one day out of the year. Barron's just egotistical enough to make sure we never forget him by making this day his birthday. After this one, there'll only be one more visit and Warren will never have to deal with his father unless he wants to."

The Mayor looked out of his office with a frown. "There you are, Layla. I need your help to rehearse tomorrow's TV interview questions."

"Of course," Layla said with a nod.

She gave Nina a smile and headed into the Mayor's office to help him practice.

...

Warren waited outside of the Mayor's building impatiently, not willing to go inside today despite the cooler temperature. He glanced at his watch and saw that Layla would be leaving soon. When fifteen minutes passed and she still hadn't appeared, Warren frowned and headed to the entrance. Dave saw him and gave a wave, opening the door.

"I was wondering where you were, Warren. Layla's still upstairs, would you like me to give her a call?" Dave offered.

"It's all right, I'll just wait," Warren said, moving to sit on one of the foyer chairs.

Another fifteen minutes passed and Layla still hadn't arrived. Dave offered to ring her again, and this time Warren gave a reluctant nod. Dave had a quick conversation that didn't provide any insight to Warren listening in and hung up a moment later.

"Layla's coming down now. The Mayor kept her back to rehearse for his TV interview tomorrow, apparently. I doubt it's helped much, he's not known for his coherency on television. He always thinks there's something wrong with his hair," Dave said with a chuckle.

Warren gave a brief nod, and gave a small sigh of relief when the elevator doors opened. Layla seemed surprised to see him, but he simply stood and waited for her to join him. She said goodbye to Dave on the way out and he gave a nod to the security guard as he followed her.

"What are you doing, hippie? Your bus home stops on the other side," Warren said when she stopped on the wrong side of the road.

"When were you going to tell me about your father, Warren?" Layla asked, looking at him.

"I wasn't planning on it, actually," he muttered, bristling at the fact that his mother had told Layla without consulting him first.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because, if you haven't noticed, I don't like talking about my father. This constitutes as talking about him, and he's not worth the time or effort. In fact, I don't even like to talk  **to**  him when I'm forced to see him once a year."

"You still could have told me instead of acting like a bastard to me all day," Layla said.

"I was silent, I wasn't a bastard," he muttered.

"You were silent to  **me**  without a reason, that means you were a bastard," she replied, folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't have to give you a reason when I want to be silent, hippie," Warren said incredulously.

Layla made a sound of frustration, muttering under her breath as she stalked over to him. She pulled him down to her roughly, her fingers gripping his shirt as she kissed him fiercely. He responded in kind, his hands burning against her as he backed her up against the bus stop sign. She gasped on hitting the metal pole, and he took the opportunity to plunder her open mouth with his tongue, pouring all of his anger and frustration into their kiss. The bus rolled over the hill a few minutes later, and they both pulled away with swollen lips and messed hair. They boarded the bus before it left without them, and when they were seated Layla finally realised that Warren had burned hand-shaped holes in her shirt. Her skin was free of burns though and she shivered as the fire brand on her wrist spun wildly, taking on the pain of the fire from her.

"So where are we going, my place or the Hive?" Warren asked when they were both settled enough to think properly.

"The Hive. I'll tell my Great Aunt I'm at yours, you tell your mum you're with me and we're not working through things so we don't break up. She was worried about us earlier," Layla said.

"Really? It's not like Mum to meddle in my relationships. She must really want you to stay with me, even if I'm being a bastard," Warren said with a snort.

"Please, your mother loves me," Layla said, grinning at him.

"Yeah, I know. Come on, we're about to miss our stop," Warren said, pressing the button to signal the bus driver to stop.

They were off the bus a moment later, Warren going silent as they made their way towards the Hive.

"Oh, look!" Layla said, smiling at him and pulling him through the trees.

She stopped suddenly, Warren looked around expectantly but didn't see anything special.

"Well? What am I meant to be looking at?"

"The trees! They're almost fully grown," Layla said, looking up to try and see the top of the tree before her.

Warren followed her gaze, moving up behind her and kissing her neck. "Want to finish what we started, hippie? I reckon I could burn the rest of your clothes without a problem," he said, grinning against her skin.

"Take me with you."

"What? Where?" he asked, frowning as she turned in his embrace to face him.

"Friday, Maxville Super Penitentiary. Take me with you," Layla said.

He moved away abruptly, shaking his head. "No, not even an option, hippie."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want him to ruin you. He does that, even without his power; he'll say or do something and it will destroy you."

"How?" Layla asked, frowning in confusion.

"I don't know, it's just what he does! Every year, I have to sit there and listen to him talk, and every year, all I want to do is smash his face with my fist," Warren growled.

Layla drew him in for a soft kiss, her fingertips trailing down his sides as her lips moved against his. "Please, take me with you, Warren."

He shook his head again, but didn't move away from her this time. Warren kissed her, trying to make her forget all about visiting his father. Layla kissed him in return, but didn't forget.

...

Warren sat across from his father, listening to the clock ticking outside of the room and trying not to listen to anything Barron was saying, wishing that the hours could pass by in silence. Barron simply kept talking, aware of his son's wish and ignoring it completely. He had Warren for an entire day, and he didn't care if he didn't listen to him, so long as in the end something of his would be passed on besides his physical image.

The hours passed, Barron's throat becoming raw as he continued talking, and Warren's anger growing with every word he was forced to hear. The clock no longer seemed to be ticking, and he could hear his father's words clearly.

"To rule the world, you can't trust anybody. You can't let your emotions rule you, they will be your downfall."

"What do  _you_  know about ruling the world? You're sitting in a prison cell for your next three lives!" Warren snapped.

Barron seemed surprised at his outburst, but his surprise faded quickly and he began to laugh. "I see you're finally able to speak. I was beginning to wonder if you were mute or just stupid, boy," he sneered. "Now, what's her name? Or his?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The person you're fucking. There's got to be a reason you've finally said something to me, and it's obviously not because of your mother," Barron sneered. "Now, who is it? And if you tell me that they're a civilian or male, then I will find some way to kill you," he growled.

Warren suddenly wished that he  _was_  in love with a male civilian, just to make his father writhe, but he couldn't do that to Layla. Not that he would be telling Barron her name either way. He went silent, ignoring Barron's knowing laughter.

"Oh, well I guess you haven't fucked her yet. Just wait until you do, boy, you'll find out what you can  **really**  do with your powers then," Barron said with a final chuckle, reminiscing on his own experiences.

Warren wished that the power suppressors would suddenly stop working - just for a second - so he could could roast his father alive. He would watch coldly as Barron screamed and pleaded for mercy, and the Mayor would probably give him a fucking medal. The moment passed suddenly, and Warren could hear the clock ticking again. It chimed suddenly, letting him know that this torture was almost over. Only one hour left.

Barron waited until the fifth chime ended and then started talking once more.

...

The clock struck six and Layla stood up, waiting for Warren to leave Maxville Super Penitentiary. It didn't take long; before a full minute had passed he was already descending the steps and heading towards her. Layla didn't mind that he continued walking down the street without stopping for her, and hurried to catch up to him. She only took hold of his hand once they could no longer see the prison. Warren finally looked at her then, coming to a stop and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank you for coming with me, hippie."

She nodded and pressed a brief kiss against his shoulder.

"I've got the weekend off work, let's go to the Hive," he murmured against her cheek. "I don't want to see anybody else for the next two days."

"Sounds good to me," Layla said, smiling up at him.

Warren let her lead him to the bus stop quietly, and within half an hour they were walking through the forest and into the Hive. Layla made a bed out of soft plants and petals, pulling him down beside her and holding him. Normally, Warren would have protested going to bed before seven, but he found that he was emotionally exhausted after his day, and soon fell asleep in her embrace. Layla pressed a kiss to his lips gently and closed her eyes, moving closer to his body as she fell asleep too. As her mind slipped into darkness, Layla promised herself that she would meet Barron Battle one day, whether Warren wanted her to or not.

...

Warren was quiet for the rest of the weekend. He wasn't completely silent as he had been during the week, but Layla still noticed that he was quieter than normal. She didn't push him to talk to her this time, but she did drag him through the Hive to the training arena. It consisted of a maze of obstacles with citizens, heroes, and villains. If the contractors had done what she'd specified, then the place should be fireproof as well.

He surprised her by picking hero to begin with and started through the obstacles, throwing balls of fire at the villains and rescuing any citizens. Layla was sure that he was picturing his father's face on the villain's targets. Warren completed the obstacles in twenty minutes, and then started again as a villain. This time he burnt heroes and citizens alive, stopped the heroes from injuring the villains, and Layla grinned when she saw his time of eighteen minutes.

He came back to the start and nodded for her to try, taking the stopwatch to time her. Layla chose hero first, taking twenty-nine minutes to finish the obstacle (saving the citizen had taken her longer than anticipated since the damn thing wouldn't shut up, and she had time added on for trying to stuff a vine down its mouth). She finished the villain course in eighteen minutes as well, laughing when she was able to kill that damn talking citizen with a well-aimed cactus. (It had longer spikes than a normal cactus, but Warren wouldn't be the one to point that out.)

Warren and Layla went through the next one together, working as a team to scout ahead for civilians that needed rescuing. There was some shouting and arguing when one did something wrong but they made it through with a time of thirty-two minutes. The villain obstacle only took twenty-nine minutes, and there was less shouting as they started to work out a system of hand signals.

They continued working through the obstacles both together and alone, challenging themselves each time to better their personal best. After a few hours, Layla noticed that their times were slipping due to exhaustion, and pulled Warren away before he trained himself to death. They went upstairs to make something to eat, Layla growing small plants for vegetables and herbs as Warren requested them, cooking it all together in the lone saucepan that they owned.

"We have to buy more cooking utensils if we're going to eat properly," Warren muttered as he sat down to eat with her. "But I'm not going plate shopping with you."

"I don't know if I'll be able to survive picking out patterns on my own," Layla said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't come back with any of that cheap varnished crap. Ceramic's all right, but clay's better."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Layla said, looking at him with confusion.

"Fine, I'll come. Might as well since you'll probably buy the wrong pots and pans."

"You realise that you just invited yourself along to something that you said you didn't want to do in the first place?"

"Yeah, well I also said that I wasn't going to rent a tux."

"You didn't rent it," she pointed out.

"Do you want me to come or not?" Warren growled.

Layla just laughed and kissed him. "Of course I do."

"Then be quiet," he muttered, kissing her again to make sure she would stay quiet.

Layla's phone rang and she pulled away to check who was ringing. She frowned on seeing the caller but still answered by the next ring. "Hey, Ethan, what's up?"

Warren put his fork down when she sat up straighter and her face blanched slightly.

"He did what? - No, don't worry, we'll be right there. - Stay there, and just try not to kill him yet."

"What's going on, hippie?"

"Ethan's in the process of  _thanking_  Zach's dad. He walked in on them kissing and apparently is the world's biggest homophobic bastard. Ethan's got him down for the count, but it might not be for long."

Warren was already standing before she finished explaining and headed into the library to get down into the Hive. "Next bus won't get us there in time. I've got my own thanking to do," he muttered, opening the trap door and heading down.

Layla hurried after him, eager to see what they were going to do.

...

Zach grinned at Ethan across the table, his foot sliding against his leg. Ethan stumbled over his words as he read from the textbook, his cheeks burning as he hurried to adjust his glasses. All the while, Zach continued to stroke his leg with his foot and watch him as if he knew what he was thinking.

"Zach, stop. We've got to study," Ethan protested weakly.

"We've been studying for three hours, I think we deserve a break," Zach said with a grin.

He stood up and pulled his shirt down over his tented pants quickly, blushing himself. Ethan stared up at him, licking his lips, and Zach couldn't stop himself from leaning down to kiss him eagerly, his hands resting against Ethan's shoulders. Ethan kissed him back eagerly, his hands resting on Zach's hips gently.

The front door opened suddenly and Zach hurried to pull away. He turned around to see his father standing in the doorway, his face as angry as hell. He tried to think of some explanation, something to say to make that expression leave his father's face, but came up blank.

"Dad, this is Ethan, my boyfriend," Zach said, knowing that it was the wrong thing to say the moment the words left his mouth.

His father advanced on him, and if Ethan hadn't been there, Zach would have run for the hills already. He had a fist to his ribs before he even knew what happened, and he was too slow to react anyway. Zach let out a cry of pain and desperately wished that Ethan wasn't here to see this. Wishes don't come true, and Ethan made some sort of noise between shock and anger, standing up suddenly. His father was angry enough to turn on Ethan too and Zach tried to get between them, but then Ethan was lunging at his father, his body stretching as he melted them both down. Ethan reformed ten full seconds later, a clear puddle of water still left on the floor.

"What... Eth? What the...  _Fuck_ , what did you do?" Zach asked in a strangled gasp, staring at the water in shock.

"I'm calling Layla and Warren. Don't touch the water," Ethan added, taking his phone out to call them.

He hung up after a very brief explanation and looked back to see Zach still staring down at the liquid. Ethan moved over and touched Zach lightly, all too aware that he'd be hurting from the blows his father had landed.

"Let's get some ice for your ribs, okay? They'll be here soon."

Zach finally looked up from the pool of liquid on the floor. He gave a slight nod and let Ethan lead him to the kitchen without looking back.

...

Layla and Warren both stared down at the water, the slightest of frowns on their faces. Layla looked up first and tried to stop from grinning as she turned to Ethan.

"You really did this?"

"I wasn't going to let him beat Zach up," Ethan said, slightly defensive even though he knew that Layla wasn't reprimanding him.

He glanced over to where Zach was lying on the couch, an ice pack on his ribs (and some of those ground up flowers Layla had given him), and his eyes squeezed shut as if it was a dream he was trying to wake up from. Ethan went over to him and put a hand on Zach's shoulder, trying to give him a smile when he opened his eyes to look up at him.

"You okay?"

"I dunno. I mean, I'm glad you stopped him, but I know that when he reforms he's going to be so pissed. My dad's not the forget and forgive kind," Zach said with a hollow laugh.

"Who said I was planning on reforming him? He's not getting out of that on his own," Ethan pointed out.

Zach sighed heavily. "I appreciate it, Eth, you know I do, but he can't stay that way. He's made it very clear over the years that mum can't survive on her own with us kids - she'd have to be working four jobs and never sleep to earn the amount he gets. The tuition at Sky High is ... well, sky high," he said with a slight grimace at his pun, "and my both of my parents' wages barely cover each semester."

"He's got life insurance, doesn't he?" Layla asked.

"Yeah, but who the hell's going to believe he's dead when he's really a puddle of water? The insurance company would probably think he's just run off and won't pay up. He'd either really have to die or make it look like he's dead for them to believe it without question."

"That can be arranged," Warren said, his first words since arriving.

They all turned to look at him, Layla trying to communicate wordlessly with Warren if her expression was anything to go by.

"Bring the bastard back to human form and I'll beat him to a pulp, then I can set his car on fire while he's in it."

"He beats me up, you beat him up, and how does that make you any better than he is?" Zach asked scornfully.

"Because I don't beat up my kids! Besides, this isn't about me being better than him, it's about him not hurting you again," Warren growled.

"Hey, it's Zach's decision. It's his dad," Ethan said, standing between them and not looking at all afraid of the fact that Warren was ready to set everything ablaze.

Layla blinked in surprise as a whisper of vines turned into a scream and it felt as though the vines were trying to tear through the layers of her skin.  _Ethan was more than ready to become a permanent marker_.

Zach looked at her oddly, his head turned at an odd angle on the couch. "What was that all about, Lay?"

"I'll tell you later... We need to make a decision here, and Ethan's right: it is ultimately your decision," she said.

Warren was pissed off to say the least, but he took a deep breath and held back from burning everything in sight. He'd go back to the Hive and take it out on the obstacle course until he was calm again.

Zach sighed heavily, sitting up properly and putting his head in his hands. "I just wish there was some way to control him. I don't think I'm ready for patricide just yet."

"There might be," Layla said softly, looking down at the puddle of liquid with an odd expression on her face.

"What're you talking about?" Zach asked, frowning at her.

"I might be able to control him," she said, looking up at Zach now. "My vines might be enough to control him."

" _Might be_? You're not risking yourself over a might be, hippie," Warren said with a glare.

"I have to try. Zach's right: we can't kill him yet. There'll be too many questions," Layla said, shaking her head.

"Fine, but I'm still thanking him," Warren snarled. "I don't care what any of you say, it seems like it's the very least I can do."

"Fine," Ethan said quickly.

"When you reform him, jump out of the way. I'm going to create a ring of fire so he can't escape," Warren said.

Ethan gave a brief nod and with a look of determination, he melted. Zach watched as the two puddles joined. It looked like there was a bit of a struggle, the liquid actually bubbling, but no one had any idea who was winning. A moment later, Ethan reformed, jumping out of the way as a burst of flames encircled the man he left on the floor.

"You little shits. Let me the fuck out of here!" the man yelled, standing up shakily despite his words.

The flames barely reached his torso, and it looked as though he might actually risk jumping through them to get out of the ring of fire. Warren stepped forward through the fire harmlessly, and the flames rose higher until they were completely gone from sight. It burned so hot that Ethan actually stepped back in worry. He took Zach's hand and they waited, the noise of the fire burning not enough to cover the pained sounds coming from his father.

The flames started to die and Layla moved closer, curious to see what had happened between the two men. Warren was standing over Zach's father, the man on the floor unconscious and singe marks littering his body. There were also a smattering of fist-shaped burns and bruises appearing on his body that Layla could see. He must have fought back, because Warren's eye was slightly red. Layla wasn't surprised to see that the punch actually wasn't swollen or bruised, since she'd seen Warren take a super-powered hit from Will last year with barely a scratch, other than what he'd received from going through the walls themselves.

Warren kissed her briefly and she sighed into his mouth as she felt how hot his hands were on her skin. She licked her lips on pulling away, grinning up at him. Her eyes turned green and vines slithered out of her skin and towards Zach's father, curving around Warren entirely.

"Take his shoes off for me?" Layla asked Warren.

He nodded, turned and threw two fireballs at the unconscious man, his shoes disappearing in a brief burst of flames. The fire died before his feet were damaged, leaving them slightly red from the intense heat nonetheless. The moment his feet were revealed, the vines pushed through his skin. He woke up with the pain of it, a scream wrenching from his throat and his back arching as lines of green made their way up his legs. A leaf wrapped around his mouth, muffling his screams.

Zach and Ethan just stared as the vine continued to feed into him, Layla's eyes glowing an eerie green and Warren watching calmly as if he expected nothing less.

A car pulled up into the driveway, Layla cursing under her breath.

"I haven't finished yet. I won't be able to get it done before they come in," she said, glancing to Zach and Ethan.

"I don't think we'll be able to distract them. Zach looks pretty out of it at the moment," Ethan admitted, waving a hand in front of Zach's face.

He was still staring at his father and not blinking.

"Take it out of him, hippie. Popsicle, melt him down. Quick," Warren said, stepping over the man and heading into the kitchen.

Layla did as he said, and Ethan leapt forward, melting Zach's father down in a second. He reformed as Warren returned with a sponge, a jar and a small bottle of food colouring.

"Get the liquid in here," Warren said, handing the sponge and jar to Ethan.

He nodded, setting to work and squeezing the last drops out as the key was turned in the door. Warren dropped in a few drops of food colouring and screwed the lid on the jar just as Heidi and her mother walked inside.

"Oh, hello. Zach, you didn't tell me your friends were coming over," Mrs. Brighton said. "Have you seen your father? His car's in the driveway."

"He's not here," Zach replied woodenly, staring at the small jar, the drops of red food colouring swirling through it.

"What's that?" Heidi asked, seeing the jar in Warren's hands.

"Take a look," he replied, handing it to her.

Heidi frowned slightly as she turned the jar around, the swirls of red becoming longer. She grinned and shook the jar, laughing in delight at the bubbles that formed.

"Are you all right, Zach? You've gone pale," his mother said, setting the shopping bags down to feel his forehead.

"I think I need to lie down," he murmured, wincing when Heidi giggled at the bubbles that were still floating through the water.

"I'll take you upstairs," Ethan offered quickly, leading Zach away before anyone could protest.

"Can I help you with the shopping, Mrs. Brighton?" Warren asked.

"Oh, yes. Thank you."

He grabbed the bags she'd set down and headed into the kitchen without another word.

"I'm going to go check on Zach," Layla said.

Heidi gave an absent-minded nod, still shaking the jar and watching the red-swirled bubbles go through the liquid.

"How is he?" Layla asked Ethan quietly as she came into the room.

"I think he's getting a bit hysterical. What are we going to do, Layla? We can't keep him in that jar forever," he said with a frown.

Zach made a sound of laughter mixed with a sob and Ethan sat next to him, stroking his hair.

"I don't know. I thought we'd have enough time to get him under control," she admitted.

Zach sat up, his breathing laboured. "We need to do three things: one, get the jar back from Heidi; two, get my dad back into his human form; three, get the hell out of town before he kills us all. There's nothing else to do."

"I think I might have something to say about that plan, glow stick," Warren said from the doorway, throwing the small jar to him.

Zach fumbled but managed to keep hold of it. "Fuck, Warren, what're you trying to do, piss him off even more?"

"I'm trying to see if he can get injured by being shaken up in liquid form. It's research being done on behalf of Popsicle," he said, smirking slightly.

Ethan was going to say that he couldn't get injured because he was technically a liquid, but decided to keep his mouth shut. Maybe he could get really dizzy.

"So what's your idea then?" Layla asked.

"Take him to the Hive and deal with him there, to start off with. When we get there, we might have a better idea of what to actually do."

"What's the Hive?" Ethan asked with a frown, looking between Layla and Warren expectantly.

"I suppose it's better than waiting here and making Mrs. Brighton suspicious. You two coming, or you want to claim plausible deniability?" Layla asked.

Ethan looked to Zach, not willing to make a decision without hearing his answer first.

"It's my dad, I'm coming with you," Zach said, his expression firmer than his voice.

"Then I'm coming too," Ethan said, taking hold of Zach's hand.

"Then let's get the hell out of here," Warren muttered, heading to leave.

The others were all surprised when he stopped short after opening the door, and Layla looked over his shoulder to see Heidi standing in the hallway, a fierce expression on her face. She was holding a baby monitor device in her hands, and Zach blanched on realising that his own device was in his room and still switched on. It was their way of talking to each other when their father was in one of his moods and had sent them to their rooms.

"I heard everything."

...

End of the thirtieth chapter.


	31. Chapter 31

"I heard everything. Let me see that," Heidi demanded of Warren, holding her hand out for the jar.

He glanced over his shoulder to Layla and Zach, and eventually they both nodded. He threw the small jar to her and she caught it easily with one hand. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the red-infused water.

"So, my dad is really in here?" Heidi asked, looking to them for confirmation.

Ethan nodded quickly. "It's my power; I melt," he said.

She made a noise of acknowledgement, but her attention returned to the jar quickly. Before anyone could say or do anything, Heidi shook the jar violently, a look of satisfaction on her face as she watched bubbles fill it quickly. She smirked and threw the jar back to Warren.

"I'll keep mum distracted. I don't care what you do, just don't come back with him."

"Heids," Zach said, wanting to tell her that he was their father, and their mother literally wouldn't be able to survive without him since she had no control over their money.

"Don't  _Heids_  me, Zach. I don't care if he's our father, or what he means to mum, or even what you think you owe him as his son. He's an abusive asshole, and I never want to see him again," Heidi said fiercely.

The lights in the hallway flickered, even though the power was switched off.

"Promise me. Promise you won't come back with him," she pleaded.

"I promise," he said hollowly, his shoulders sagging in defeat.

"Thank you. Now go before mum comes up here looking for you. I'll tell her that you've gone to sleep, so don't let her see you on the way out, and don't come in through the front door on the way back," Heidi muttered.

"You've thought about this too much, Heids," Zach muttered, albeit a little fondly.

"I've been planning my escape since my fifth birthday party," she said with a shrug.

Zach's eyes widened slightly, but he remembered what had happened at her fifth birthday party and simply nodded in understanding.

Without another word they all headed downstairs. Heidi went to distract her mother in the kitchen while the others left the house. Warren pocketed the jar and led them to the bus stop. He and Layla knew the Hive's bus route off by heart and he knew that the next one wasn't too far off.

"Do I dare ask what happened at Heidi's fifth birthday party?" Layla asked.

"Maybe some other time, just not today," Zach murmured.

Ethan was still holding his hand gave it a little squeeze, smiling briefly. "Everything will be all right soon, Zach."

"I hope so," Zach murmured.

He went quiet, trying to remember how much money he had saved up over the years. Heidi wasn't the only one who had planned on escaping. Zach knew he couldn't stay in his father's house if this didn't work out.

...

The trip to the Hive felt shorter than it probably took, but Layla was surprisingly calm about taking Zach and Ethan there. Despite Zach's reservations about patricide, she knew that both were ready to become permanent markers, and Layla was having a hard time keeping the smile off her face. Warren could sense her excitement and rolled his eyes at her a few times, but she still couldn't bring herself to calm down.

"How'd Heidi hear everything anyway, Zach? I thought she was downstairs with your mum?" Ethan said with a slight frown.

"Obviously not. Heidi's completely deaf in only one ear; the other one can't hear a lot, but she can hear really loud noises without her hearing aid, not that she lets our parents know that. She was wearing her hearing aid when she caught us. Besides, we weren't exactly quiet, and the baby monitors that Heidi and I have are ones that amplify sound. I'm not surprised that she heard everything," Zach replied, shrugging.

"Do you know how you're going to keep your promise to her?" Warren asked.

"No; I don't know if I can," he added quietly, hanging his head.

Silence reigned for the rest of the trip, not breaking even as the four of them walked from the bus stop to the Hive's forest entrance.

"What is this place?" Ethan asked, frowning at the fact that a forest was essentially in the middle of nowhere.

"The forest that leads to the Hive. Try not to touch the trees; they're not used to anyone other than me and Warren," Layla said.

As if to prove her point, a tree close to Zach seemed to reach its branches down to swipe at his head curiously. Zach jumped back, eyes wide as he tried to hide behind Ethan.

"What the hell, Layla?!"

"They're not going to start talking and walking, don't worry. They just have a higher level of awareness than most living creatures; humans included," she added in a low mutter. "You're our friends and don't pose a threat to us, so you'll be fine."

"What if we were a threat?" Ethan asked curiously,

"Then you wouldn't be fine," Layla replied simply. "Coming?" she asked, heading down the path.

Warren smirked at the two boys and followed her without hesitation, throwing the jar between his hands easily.

"You still okay with this, Zach?" Ethan asked softly.

He gave a nod, though he kept very firmly in the middle of the path and as far out of the trees' reach as possible.

"So, this is it? A house hidden behind a forest?" Ethan asked, not entirely impressed.

"That you can see, yes. But what's under the house is much more interesting," Layla said lightly, not at all offended by his assumption since it was the exact reaction that she wanted from others who might see the Hive too.

"What's under the house?" Zach asked warily, glancing back to the trees behind him.

"You'll see. Come in, we'll give you a tour of the house first," Layla said, nodding for Warren to open the door.

They were all inside a few moments later, Zach and Ethan both surprised about how warm and inviting the interior of the house was. Green and red were prominent in all of the rooms, but somehow, it didn't come across as a gaudy Christmas advertisement.

"Oh, that's what it reminds me of," Zach announced as they were going in the kitchen. "Hansel and Gretel. You've got the nice house that draws people in, and then you butter them up all sweetly, but behind it all you're really evil."

"I think I should be insulted that I'm being compared to an ugly old witch," Warren muttered. "But you're not far off," he added with a grin.

"Well, I don't know about you, but that comparison just made me hungry," Layla said, frowning as if she couldn't quite believe her own train of thoughts.

Zach moved as far away from the oven as possible. Warren chuckled and lead the way down to the library where the trapdoor was. This time, Ethan and Zach didn't hesitate before following Layla and Warren downstairs. They were both quiet as they headed down the main tunnel, looking in each branching tunnel curiously.

"Do you have any sort of map? It'll take years to memorise every tunnel in here. I should be able to make something basic in a few weeks," Ethan said, his eyes bright at the prospect of creating a map, and labelling the rooms and tunnels to the last detail.

"Calm down there, Popsicle. You can be the cartographer once we've dealt with this bastard," Warren said, shaking the jar for emphasis.

Ethan agreed with a firm nod, and they all followed Layla through the tunnels to a room that only had one exit.

"Zach, this is your final chance to back out. We can stop right now, and return your father to his normal form; you and Heidi could stay here as long as you need. I can use a vine to wipe his memory. I think I can, at least," Layla added.

"I've come this far, I'm not backing out now," he said.

She waited a moment longer, in case Zach changed his mind, and finally gave a brief nod before turning to Warren. "Give the jar to Ethan, please."

He handed it to Ethan with a brief nod, his arms lighting up to create a ring of fire on the floor. Warren left an opening so Ethan could walk through without the flames hurting him. The water in the jar bubbled fiercely, and Ethan took a deep breath before walking through the opening, the flames closing behind him. The empty jar rolled out of the flames a moment later, and there was a dripping sound as Ethan melted down. For a few minutes, there was nothing but silence, broken only by the crackle of flames.

Mr. Brighton fought back, even as Ethan tried to reform, and by the time they were both in human form once more, Ethan's head and eyes were spinning, his stomach churning. He fell to his knees, not quick enough to escape the flames as they'd planned.

"You fucking little  _faggot_ ," Mr. Brighton snarled, emphasising his words with a swift kick to Ethan's ribs.

He groaned in pain, his eyes watering behind his glasses, and another kick was delivered to his stomach this time. Ethan cursed under his breath, trying to gather enough of his senses to think, to  _melt_ , but Mr. Brighton kept laying his boot into his body, and all of his thought processes went to protecting his head and trying to curl up to lessen the pain. Ethan wasn't entirely sure that it worked.

They heard the swearing and the heavy thuds of Mr. Brighton's boot connecting with Ethan's body. Warren made the flames stronger, not willing to lessen them in case the older man escaped, but the intense heat only seemed to make him angrier. Layla knew that none of her plants would survive the ring of fire considering how hot they were, and she looked to Warren, about to tell him to stop the flames when Zach ran past and jumped through the flames.

"Hey! Leave him the fuck alone!" Zach called, only for his father to whirl around to lash out at him.

Zach didn't let him get close enough to land a blow, a series of flashes emitting from his body. He watched coldly as his father dropped to the ground, his entire body seizing up and shaking, his eyes rolling back into his head. Zach barely resisted the urge to kick his father and stepped over him to help Ethan up gently.

"You all right, Eth?"

He pushed his glasses up his nose slightly and gave a brief nod, even though they both knew he was lying.

"Hey, turn the flames off. It's hot in here," Zach called.

The flames died instantly, Warren and Layla looking between them and Mr. Brighton curiously.

"What did you do?" Layla asked, she and Warren stepping over the circle of ash to inspect Mr. Brighton more closely.

"I don't really know. I just got so angry, I powered up without even thinking about it. Can you do what you need to do while he's like that?" Zach asked.

"I can try," Layla murmured, her eyes turning green.

Two vines slithered out from the palms of her hands and pushed their way directly into Mr. Brighton's feet. He didn't make a noise, still seizing from Zach's blast of power, and they all watched silently as the vines continued to trace green lines beneath his skin.

...

Heidi was watching a movie, half of her concentration on the words and actors on the screen, and the other half listening out intently for the front or back door to open. She'd been on edge ever since her brother and his friends had left, only allowing herself to relax after her mother had left for work almost an hour ago.

The front door opened and slammed loudly, Heidi's heart skipping a beat at the sudden noise. She looked out of the lounge room cautiously, a wave of relief washing over her at the sight of Zach and his friends. Then her expression and heart dropped, seeing her father standing with them.

"You brought him back?!" she yelled, the entrance light flickering violently for a second before shattering completely.

Ethan immediately melted himself and Zach down, and a leaf taller than Warren and thicker than a piece of wood covered him and Layla. Mr. Brighton didn't move, even when the shards of hot glass hit his skin, and Heidi frowned at him.

"Well, that was a pleasant welcome," Layla murmured, her leaf disappearing when Heidi didn't try to attack them again.

"Hey, Popsicle, get back up here already," Warren said, toeing the puddle of water.

Ethan and Zach were in their human form in a second, and the four of them stepped over the pieces of glass carefully. Zach immediately went to the laundry to get a dustpan and brush, handing both to Heidi.

"You know the rules, Heids: you make a mess, you clean it up. I'll replace the bulb," he said.

"What did you do to him?" she asked, the pan and brush held in her hands limply.

Zach grinned slightly and signed his answer to her. ' _He's being controlled by vines. I know it sounds weird, but it's the truth. Trust me on this: never piss Layla off._ '

Heidi laughed and nodded briefly. She went over to their father, frowning slightly as she looked up at him. Making a decision, Heidi banged the dustpan and brush together loudly, knowing how much it annoyed him, but there was no response. His eyes glowed green for a moment, and she knew that he was still in there, but he couldn't get out. Zach had kept his promise: he hadn't come home with their father, even if it was still his body.

"Good," she murmured to herself.

With that done, Heidi set about cleaning up the mess of glass on the floor while Zach went to get a light bulb. When they were finished, Heidi followed the group to the kitchen.

"How long will it last?" she asked.

"He should stay this way as long as I'm alive. It's growing inside him now, so it might last even longer," Layla replied.

"Plan on dying soon?" Heidi asked.

"Not if I can help it," Layla said with a grin.

' _I want to help you with whatever you plan on doing_ ,' she signed to Zach.

He shook his head. ' _No way, too dangerous_.'

' _Bullshit_.'

' _Where did you learn that sign_?!' he asked in surprise.

' _How did you know it_?' Heidi returned, smirking.

Zach didn't reply, his cheeks reddening. Heidi just laughed at her brother, resolving to ask Layla about helping them when Zach couldn't be there to refuse.

Later that night, Zach woke up with the sudden feeling that something was wrong. He was used to being woken by loud screams, by arguments, or his mother crying, but there was no noise. Creeping out of his room quietly, Zach headed over to the stairs and peeked down in the lounge room where his parents were sitting. His mother looked exhausted, her head dropping forward onto her chest slowly, but his father had his eyes wide open, staring at the TV without seeming to process it. When Mrs. Brighton had fallen asleep completely, he stood off the lounge and carried her upstairs. He passed Zach without a look or word of reprimand, going straight to their bedroom. Zach watched after them, making sure that his father wouldn't do anything to hurt her while she was so vulnerable. When he was satisfied that she would be all right, Zach went back to his bedroom and fell asleep, worry-free for the first time in years.

...

The week of the election arrived and along with it came all of the tension and nerves borne of a political polling week. The Mayor promised everything, smiled at everyone, shook hands and kissed babies, and with the Commander and Jetstream on either side of him, his popularity among the voters never wavered.

Layla spent nearly every waking moment that week thinking of more ways to publicise her boss, from social media campaigns, posters in local businesses, to even asking Ron Wilson (bus driver) to use the Sky High bus to write the Mayor's name in the sky. He was initially excited, but after consulting with Principal Powers, he had to refuse Layla's request - the buses were very expensive pieces of technological equipment, not a skywriter's plane, and even so, the school would not be coerced into advertising for either side of the political campaign. (However, Principal Powers would use the same technique to boost school enrolments later that year.)

"Hippie, if you don't eat your lunch, I'm going to  _make_  you eat it. Did you even eat breakfast this morning?" Warren asked.

"I went to bed later than usual and ran out of time," Layla admitted.

Warren glared and put her plate of salad directly on top of her draft of the Mayor's speech for that evening's television broadcast. She made a sound of protest, but he ignored her and offered her a fork instead. With a sigh, Layla ate her salad under Warren's watchful eye, taking a long drink of water before returning to the Mayor's speech.

"The bell rang, hippie," Warren said, flicking a screwed up napkin at her.

"What?" Layla muttered in surprise, looking up to see that they were two of the last six in the cafeteria.

"You're very determined when you focus on something, hippie. That could be a bad thing if you don't pay enough attention to your surroundings," he murmured as they left together.

"I know. But you were with me then," she said, smiling up at him. "I'll pay more attention next time," Layla added, pressing a kiss to his lips before heading off for her next class.

...

"Congratulations, Layla. The Mayor's going to be very pleased with this afternoon's election results."

It took Layla a moment to place the voice, but the words were damning enough, and she immediately knew that it was Honey Olgestein - Hourglass - on the other end of the phone.

"Really? So it's definite?"

"Ninety-five percent positive that he will win. Five percent if he wears the purple tie," Honey said.

Layla looked into the Mayor's office, wincing when she saw that he was wearing a tie covered in purple swirls. "I'll be right back."

"Of course," Honey said patiently as she was put on hold.

Layla headed straight to the staff kitchen, pouring a mug of coffee before heading back towards the Mayor's office.

"Mr. Mayor? I brought you a coffee," Layla said, offering the mug to him carefully.

"Thank you, Layla. What do you think of this tie? My wife bought it as an anniversary present."

"It's a lovely tie, Mr. Mayor," she said hesitatingly. "But... Never mind."

"But what?"

"I'm just not sure that purple's the best colour for you. It doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, does it?"

"Purple's a colour of royalty!"

"And we're not a monarchy, sir, nor do you want to be seen as someone higher than the average voter. That's the image we've been promoting these last few months: you're just as honest as the next man."

"Damn, you're right. A coffee stain should be enough to placate my wife," he muttered, going to tip a careful amount on the tie.

"We just had the carpet cleaned from the last coffee spill, Mr. Mayor," Layla prompted him. "The kitchen has a tiled area," she added.

He tapped his nose knowingly. "See, that's why I have you around. My red tie's in the top drawer, get it out for me, would you?" he asked, heading off to the kitchen.

Layla opened the drawer with the key carefully, taking out the red tie that was curled up beside his stapler. A key glinted in the office's lights, and Layla frowned slightly on realising that it wasn't one of the usual keys the Mayor carried around. The tag read Beast, and she almost dismissed it as a key for one of his many cars.  _But why would he keep it in his desk drawer at work?_  Layla thought to herself.  _The Monster was the main office filing cabinet, maybe he'd named the one in his office_ Beast _?_

Making a split decision, Layla slipped the key into her pocket. Her entire body seemed to be trembling in excitement, as she shut the drawer, and she hid the trembling of her hands by shaking out the tie properly. The Mayor returned less than a second later, and she smiled at him, offering the tie.

"The media are waiting for you downstairs, would you like me to bring them up here?" Nina asked, popping her head into the office.

"No, I'll go meet them. It's what any honest man would do," he murmured with a slight smirk, putting his tie on with ease and following Nina out.

Layla locked the top drawer and went back to her desk, the key to the Beast burning a hole in her pocket. She took Honey off hold, but discovered that the woman had disconnected the call, the reason for her call now complete.

...

"Congratulations on getting the Mayor re-elected, hippie. Now, tell me the truth, how many of his promises will actually be kept?" Warren asked, grinning at her.

"Out of ten? Maybe four, if there's a few tax increases. Of course, two of those promises are ones relating to politician's wages and salary bonuses," Layla said sarcastically.

"You're already so jaded, and you've only been working for two months," Warren said with a snort.

"Funny, Warren," she said, nudging him with her elbow.

"I'm giving up my life of crime to become a stand-up comedian," he deadpanned.

Layla rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head.

"So, where to? Your Great Aunt's to celebrate? Or the Hive to really celebrate?" Warren asked, a grin forming on his face.

"Frieda's organised a party for me. We'll have to leave our celebration until next weekend," she said, though a little reluctantly. "Actually, I'm surprised you didn't know about the party already. Didn't Frieda invite you too?"

"She did, but I was hoping to avoid it. I know she's going to call me cutie again," he groused.

"Oh, you'll live. Come on, come celebrate with me; I'll make it worth your while," Layla promised, grinning up at him.

"How're you going to do that, hippie? I want details," Warren said, pulling her close to kiss her fiercely.

"Well, I was going to start with that," she said breathlessly.

"Good. We'll discuss the rest of how you're going to make up for me being called cutie on the way there," he said, flagging down the approaching bus.

Layla, still a little dazed from his intense kiss, simply nodded and followed Warren onto the bus without a word.

...

"Congratulations, Layla!" Frieda said happily, hugging her tightly within seconds of Layla walking in the door.

"Oh, stop acting so dramatic, Frieda. You're acting like she single-handedly got the Mayor re-elected," Greta said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, ignore your Great Aunt, Layla; she's just upset that Honey thought of this party before she did."

"No, I'm upset that Honey thought of the party and insisted that it be held  _here_. Tonight is my poker night," Greta muttered.

"You've never gone to poker night while I've been here. I haven't disrupted your social outings, have I?" Layla asked anxiously.

Behind her, Warren covered his laugh with a cough, drawing Frieda's attention.

"Hello, cutie! Have you gotten taller since I last saw you?" she asked, smiling up at him brightly. "Come inside, that cough didn't sound healthy at all."

Warren stepped further inside, shooting Layla a 'this had better be worth it' glare as Frieda shut the door behind him. Frieda took his arm, patting his hand gently.

"Now, let's go see where my daughter and her  _personal assistant's_  gotten to," she murmured, leading him away.

"I voted for the opposition," Greta muttered under her breath, going after Frieda and Warren.

Layla smirked to herself before heading upstairs to put her bag away. She jumped in fright on seeing Honey in her room, holding her hand to her hammering heart to try and calm herself.

"What on earth are you doing in here?" she hissed, closing the door quickly.

"I need the key. Quickly, we don't have much time; Sarah will only be able to distract them for so long," Honey replied, holding her hand out.

Deciding that she didn't have time to feign innocence, Layla took the key for the Beast out of her bag and handed it to her. Honey took a small silver container from her pocket, pressed the key into the rubber-like dough inside and closed the lid, holding it tight so the key would create a firm impression.

"I'll get the copy made and tell you when you can come pick it up. I apologise in advance for interrupting you and Warren later tonight, but you'll need to return the key to the Mayor's desk tonight. He will be in his office tomorrow morning - an unexpected argument with his wife over the tie - and he'll definitely notice the key's absence. I'll text you when it's safe to leave without disturbing Greta."

"What about security? Besides, I can't get inside the building without swiping with my access card. That information's recorded, and someone's bound to get suspicious about me being there in the middle of the night."

Honey passed the key back to her, frowning as she tried to think of a solution, processing hundreds of possible futures in a matter of seconds. One came to her suddenly, and she let out a shaky breath. "Dave will let you in; tell him you've left your access card on your desk upstairs and you couldn't sleep knowing it was there. He's very particular about security and you'll get scolded, but your presence won't be logged, and Dave will probably forget you were even there in a few days, even if he makes a few comments about your access card later on."

"All right, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now you get changed while I go to the kitchen and get drinks. Lemonade?" Honey offered.

"Yes, please."

She nodded and left Layla's bedroom quietly, closing the door behind her. Layla pulled her shirt off and changed into a clean top, kicking off her shoes but deciding to forgo changing her skirt. Taking her hair out of her usual plaits, she tied it back into a ponytail and put a bandanna on. Layla waited a few moments longer, wanting to make sure that she had spent enough time 'getting changed' to give Honey time to get the drinks, then headed down to the lounge room to save Warren from Frieda's pet-names.

"Honey had an ulterior motive in organising this party, you know, Layla," Frieda mentioned with a smile.

"Did she?"

"She just wanted an excuse to meet you in person. Honey says I've talked you up and no one could be that nice, but I only spoke the truth," she added, grinning.

Greta scoffed, but Frieda didn't seem to hear.

"Honey told me that she saw you at the meeting you organised with the reporters, but she didn't get a chance to introduce herself," Frieda said.

"All right, I have drinks," Honey called, coming into the lounge room with a tray of various drinks.

Sarah followed with a bowl in each hand, one full of chips and the other of biscuits. She was introduced to Layla and Warren, Honey's introduction following.

"It's nice to finally meet you, properly Layla," Honey said, stepping forward and hugging her.

"Since when do you hug people, Honey?" Greta muttered, taking the chocolate biscuit that Sarah offered her.

"Oh, Layla and I are going to be great friends," she replied with a sweet smile.

"That's a bit presumptuous, isn't it? You just met the girl, and she's twenty years younger than you!"

"Fourteen, actually. Besides, age has nothing to do with friendship," Honey said, a little sterner now.

"Of course it doesn't. Just like love; and there's no gender restrictions either," Frieda said with a nod.

"Mum, Sarah is my personal assistant, she is  **not**  my girlfriend. Sarah has a lovely boyfriend; you've met him before," Honey said with a sigh.

 _It was obviously an ongoing argument, if the look on Honey's face was anything to go by_ , Layla mused. Sarah, she noted, simply looked amused at Frieda's words.

"Yes, yes, that Jared boy, I know. But you haven't been on a date in years, Honey, and I worry that you're going to end up all alone," Frieda said, patting her daughter's hand gently.

"I've told you before, Mum: I'm waiting for the right guy."

"You've been waiting an awfully long time, Honey. Are you sure you're not being picky?"

"Mum, please! If I promise that I'll go on a date by the end of the year, will you stop bringing this up?" Honey asked with a groan.

"Oh, don't be like that, we're among friends. They'll find out that you're 30 years old and alone eventually, why not now?"

"Layla, would you like to show me the garden outside before I have to throw myself out of a window in utter embarrassment?" Honey asked abruptly, turning to her and pleading.

"Uh, sure," she said, trying not to grin.

"Sarah, Warren, why don't you come with us?" Honey offered, seeing the grip her mother had on the poor teenager's arm.

"Yes, thank you," he said in relief. "My apologies, Ms. Bettendorf," Warren added smoothly, taking his arm out of her grasp and barely refraining from running to the back door.

"I've got to schedule your interview with Zona for tomorrow, you don't mind if I'm on the phone while being out there, do you?" Sarah asked Honey.

"Not at all, come on," she muttered.

Layla led them through the house and to the backyard outside. There was a small garden at the end of the yard. It was sadly neglected, and Layla felt a stab of guilt at the sight of the withered plants. She hadn't been out here since arriving to her Great Aunt's house, and the plants had shrivelled without someone taking care of them.

"This will just take a minute," she murmured to Honey.

"Not a problem, take as much time as you need," she said, then frowned. "Sorry, you'll actually have exactly two and a half minutes before my mum and Greta join us."

Layla nodded and turned to the small garden. She kicked off her shoes, digging her toes into the warm grass beneath her feet, and closed her eyes. A few seconds passed as she recognised each plant through feel alone. Feeling the seven different kind of plants in the small garden, she immediately knew what each plant needed to bring it back to life. Layla opened her eyes held her hands out and let a pulse of her power loose. Before their eyes, the plants strengthened, flowers budding and unfurling. Even the grass underfoot looked healthier.

"The flowers won't grow, I think someone's salted the earth," Greta muttered as she stepped out with Frieda in front of her.

"Why, they're  _beautiful_. I don't know what you're talking about, Greta; look how lovely these hydrangeas are!"

Sarah coughed into her hand, covering her laugh at Greta's look of surprise. She busied herself with her phone when Greta glared over at her, but a smile still tugged at her lips.

"Sarah really has a boyfriend named Jared and works at Labyrinth? Isn't that awfully cliché?" Layla asked Honey, pretending as though they'd been talking all of this time.

"That's not the best part, though; they've got a dog named Toby," Honey said.

" _You're_  the one that named him!" Sarah called, her hand covering the phone briefly.

"Oh, I  _know_ , but how could I resist?" she said, laughing. "Of course, poor Sarah had no idea I was being mean; I bought Toby for her a year before Jared came along. Toby's the reason she met Jared, so I think Sarah's forgiven me now."

"Dog park?" Warren asked, grinning.

"Uh, no, actually. Toby impregnated Jared's poodle. They lived about two blocks away from each other, and their dogs decided that two blocks wasn't enough to stop them from having the most adorable little puppies in the world. I got one from the litter, he's called Ari," Honey said with a warm smile.

"Don't tell me you orchestrated the whole thing just so you could get a dog?" Warren asked incredulously.

Honey just grinned and didn't answer.

"What did you do?" Greta hissed at Layla, pulling her away, but careful not to apply too much pressure and hurt herself with the phantom thorns in the process.

"What do you mean?" she asked, blinking innocently.

"You know exactly what I mean; those plants were dead this morning!"

"Oh, that... I made them healthy again. Don't you like the flowers, Greta?" Layla asked.

Greta muttered under her breath and let go of Layla, going back into the house without another word. Frieda was busy looking at the plants and didn't notice her friend's departure.

"Do you think Greta would mind if I take a few clippings, Layla? These are some of the loveliest hydrangeas I've seen this season," Frieda said.

"I don't think she'd mind at all," she replied with a bright smile. "I'll go get the scissors and a bag for you."

"Honey? I've got Zona on the line, would you like your interview for tomorrow morning or afternoon? She refuses to make a decision," Sarah added in a mutter, her hand covering the phone.

"In that case, afternoon. I'd much prefer to see Zona when she's somewhat sober and not still half-asleep," Honey muttered.

"I'll organise to have her favourite coffee available, just in case the extra hours of sleep aren't enough," Sarah said, returning to the phone call once more.

Honey thanked Sarah, drawing her into the conversation she was having with Warren about the Mayor's re-election. They went back towards the house to get to the shade, leaving Frieda with Layla once she returned with the scissors and bag. Frieda smiled and watched as Layla carefully trimmed one of the hydrangeas so that she could take the clipping home.

"It will last until you get it home and put it in some water," she assured Frieda.

"Oh, that's good news. Now, why don't you try and make this rosebush grow a little taller? There's a lovely bud near the bottom branches that I think will turn out just perfectly," she said, leaning in close to look at the rosebush.

"You... You know about my power?" Layla asked, her jaw dropping slightly.

Over by the house, Warren went still and silent, watching them intently as he tried to determine what was making his vine tattoo spin wildly out of control. Honey shook her head, told him that everything was fine, and drew him back into the conversation once more.

"Of course; Greta's been ranting about it ever since you came to live with her. She kept saying something about trees ripping up her floorboards or something ridiculous like that. I didn't believe her at first, but then I met you, and... well, who else would have that many plants in their house? Of course, it wasn't hard for me to find out the truth, considering my daughter's talent. I remember her talking about a plant grower and fire boy when she was just a child. It was after one of those times she was bullied at school, and I told her to look to the future, to find something that would make up for everything she went through, something that she could always look forward to. I remember because when I told her that, and she told me about you two, she didn't stop smiling for a full week," Frieda said, sighing. "It was so rare to see my lovely daughter smiling back then, and I feel like I can trust you, just for that alone. Now, how about this rose then, dear?"

Layla did as she asked, too stunned to think of a reason not to make the rose bush grow more. "Do you have a power?" she finally asked after Frieda had clipped the rose off the branch carefully. (She was right, it was perfect.)

"No, I'm just very lucky. It's not a power, it's just good luck," Frieda said firmly.

Layla frowned. In the super world,  _good luck_  didn't account for much, and definitely wasn't a power. Still, she walked back up to the house with Frieda, who smiled brightly on seeing Warren and looped her arm through his.

"Help an old woman walk up the stairs, would you, dear?"

"You're not old, Ms. Bettendorf," Warren said, grinning. (He was just grateful she wasn't calling him  _cutie_  again.)

She laughed brightly. "You say such the nicest things. Just for that, I'll convince Greta to let you stay the night. I'm sure she won't mind someone as strong and handsome as you looking out for two ladies for one night."

"Uh, sure. That'd be great, thanks Ms. Bettendorf."

"Please, call me Frieda, dear."

Sarah went inside with Warren and Frieda, Layla waiting behind with Honey to try and get an explanation from her instead. Honey sighed, realising that Layla wouldn't take no or any evasion tactics to get out of this conversation for an answer.

"My mother grew up in a time of war, when the defence forces' recruitment agencies went knocking on doors and dragging people out of their houses so they could join the fight. She saw people with... gifts, like hers being taken away by people in the government, but she never saw them again, even though their names were never on the obituary lists. My mother's gift is one that she's kept secret for a very long time, because she knew if anyone knew about it, she too would be taken away by the government and never be seen again. Mum was right about that," Honey added with a slight frown.

"All right, but what's her power?"

"Secrets, Layla. She touches someone - sometimes, she just has to see them - and she knows their deepest and darkest secrets. Could you imagine what would happen if the government had her under their control? She would be used to collapse entire countries."

"But... what about Greta and Henry? She didn't know about them," Layla pointed out, her voice low.

Honey's jaw set firmly and she glowered at the house, as if she could see Greta through the brick walls. "Like I said, it's a gift. And her one flaw - or blessing, whichever way you see it - is that it doesn't work on people she's close to. She can only see the secrets of people she doesn't know. Of course, since I spoke about you and Warren when I was a child, she feels as though she already knows you, and hasn't heard a single secret from either of you," she added, seeing the look of relief on Layla's face. "The same can't be said for most people she meets."

"Thank you, Honey."

"You're welcome. Now, let's get inside. It's getting late, and the rest of us should be going... After the cake, that is," she added.

"There's cake?"

"There's  _always_  cake at my parties," Honey said with a grin, leading her back inside.

...

End of the thirty-first chapter.


	32. Chapter 32

Warren kissed Layla eagerly, his body rising above hers as she gripped his shoulder tightly with one hand while her other trailed along his abs gently. Layla smiled against his lips as she felt his stomach clench at her action, then he retaliated with a hand slipping under her shirt and her breath caught in her throat. He pulled away, licking his lips as he looked down at Layla, her red hair bright in the moon's light. She raised herself up on her elbows, pulling him in for another kiss, and Warren concentrated on nothing but her lips, her gasping little moans, her body warm beneath his and flush against him, and the way she responded to every touch and kiss he gave her.

There was a vibrating noise and Layla's phone lit up as she received a text. Warren groaned in annoyance, sorely tempted to set her damn phone alight.

"Sorry, Warren," Layla said, sighing as she slid out from under him to answer her phone. "Honey says she'll make it up to us."

"I don't see how that helps me right now," Warren muttered with a groan.

Layla smiled and kissed his cheek gently. "We knew that Honey was going to interrupt us; just be grateful we weren't doing more than making out," she murmured.

Warren groaned and flopped down onto Layla's bed, her words not helping him  _at all_. "Give me a minute to get under control... That means you can't be in here looking like that," he added with a barely-repressed smirk.

"Like what?" Layla asked in confusion, going over to her mirror dresser. "Oh, wow," she said in surprise, taking up her brush to tame her wild hair. "When did you give me a hickey?" Layla asked, her fingers touching to the bruise that was starting to form on the curve of her shoulder.

"I think it was somewhere between you scraping my chest to pieces and that hip-roll thing you like to torture me with," Warren muttered.

Layla grinned at him in the reflection of her mirror, brushing her hair back into a ponytail, and watching with a sense of disappointment as Warren pulled his shirt back over his head.

They slipped out of Layla's window a few minutes later, both silent as they made their way up the street to the bus stop. The key for the Beast felt heavy in Layla's pocket, and she gripped it tightly, mentally reminding herself to wipe the key clean before putting it back in the Mayor's desk drawer.

...

Layla kept glancing towards the Mayor's office every few minutes. She was worried that he would somehow know what she'd done and that she'd be fired on the spot. Layla tried to keep her thoughts and feelings pleasant, knowing that there was an empath sitting only a few cubicles away.

The Mayor hummed a little tune under his breath. His wife had finally forgiven him, and he'd managed to actually get some work done the night he'd come back to the office. The public still loved him, so all was right in his world. He opened his top drawer, pushed a few things to the side to make room and placed the neatly folded spare tie down before closing the drawer again.

"Layla," he called, looking over to where she was seated in front of his office.

She jumped in surprise, and he tried not to chuckle at how engrossed she must be in her work for him to shock her like that.

"Yes, Mr. Mayor?" Layla asked hesitantly.

In her mind all she could think of was ' _oh shit, oh shit, oh shit_ ' and there was no way that her feelings or thoughts were anything remotely pleasant right then.

"Send a bunch of flowers to my wife, would you? Use the work account, but keep that little tidbit under wraps," the Mayor said, tapping his nose. "Just say it's a miscellaneous expense."

Layla almost sighed in relief. "Of course, sir. Does your wife have a favourite flower?"

"I never remember things like that. Just send her something that looks pretty. Add a note if it's not an extra cost."

"Yes, Mr. Mayor," she replied, heading back to her desk to find a suitable florist.

"The Mayor's wife's favourite flowers are pink roses. She prefers red wine over white, and is allergic to shellfish, so whatever you do,  _don't_  book them a table at a seafood restaurant," Nina said with a grin.

"Oh, thank you, Nina. I'd be lost without you," Layla said, smiling up at her gratefully.

"It's all right; no one likes the repercussions of an argument between the Mayor and his wife," she muttered quietly. "That's how good people get fired."

"Right, pink roses then," Layla muttered. "Oh, I know the best florist for roses," she realised with a quick grin.

"Keep them on speed dial," Nina advised, grinning back at her.

...

"I've been thinking," Layla said, looking at Warren briefly.

"Hmm, about what?" he asked warily.

"Royal Pain," she replied, rolling onto her side to look at him properly. "I think I've figured out how she could have won."

"By not doing what she did?" Warren suggested with a snicker.

"Actually, she had it right. I mean, there were aspects that could have been changed, but overall, Royal Pain's plan would have worked if we hadn't stopped her."

Warren looked away from the lemon tree that was growing above him, and frowned at Layla. "Explain, hippie."

"Well, the plan was to turn everyone into babies, leave with them, have Sky High fall out of the sky, and make a villain school, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"The one crucial aspect of her plan wasn't getting the Pacifier, or the Commander and Jetstream, or even the Homecoming Dance. It all rested on Sky High's anti-gravity device."

Warren didn't bother saying anything in response, and just watched as Layla continued to explain, her eyes bright and tinged with green flecks.

"Sky High itself is fairly huge, and since it's so high in the air, it would've come hurtling down to the earth at a ridiculous speed."

 _Honestly, hippie?! We were_ _ **on**_ _that fucking thing while it was hurtling down to the earth at a ridiculous speed!_  he thought to himself, but still not willing to interrupt her.

"Oh, I know, don't look at me like that... Anyway, with the speed it would have picked up, Sky High smashing into Maxville's suburbian areas would've made such an impact that it would have destroyed Maxville itself. Any student's parents that survived something like that would have believed that their children died in the wreckage of Sky High. Maxville would have been destroyed, and no one would be looking for their children because they'd think them to be dead, and Royal Pain would have been able to raise everyone as villains without any trouble."

Warren thought about her theory for a moment, giving a brief nod. "I suppose that would have worked. Sky High would really have to have done a number on the city for people to not be suspicious about the lack of bodies in the ruins of the school."

"Hmm, true. Still, it's something to think about," Layla murmured, stretching and yawning widely.

Warren pulled her onto his lap, his lips hot against the crook of her neck. Layla made a sound of content, her arms wrapping around him loosely. He grinned against her skin, his tongue flicking out to taste her, one hand moving to hold her as the other slipped beneath her shirt.

"You two aren't going to do anything out here, are you?" Zach asked with a wince, coming into view from the Hive's forest path.

" _Whatever_  do you mean?" Layla asked, tilting her head back, her hair falling between her shoulders as she grinned at him.

"Hey guys, are we still going to study?" Ethan asked, adjusting his bag strap slightly before taking Zach's hand.

"Sure, you two go on ahead to the Hive. We'll be there in a few minutes," Warren said, not looking away from Layla.

Zach and Ethan didn't need to be told twice, and hurried ahead, Zach chuckling to himself knowingly.

"Do you know what Zach was talking about, Warren?" Layla asked, a mischievous grin on her face as she looked at him again.

"Very funny, hippie," he muttered, pressing a firm kiss to her lips.

"Mmm," she murmured as they pulled away, licking her lips. "You keep doing that, and the forest will be done in a few hours."

"Huh?" Warren replied, frowning in confusion.

"Well, they're still not fully grown, and you riling me up like that will affect the trees since I'm nearby. They'll be fully grown within a few hours, and people will  _definitely_ notice an entire forest that looks fifty years old when this was nothing but a paddock a few months ago."

"So... No getting you horny while you're powered up and near the Hive?"

"Exactly," Layla said with a disappointed sigh, standing up and brushing leaves from her skirt.

"All right. I really wish you'd told me this earlier, I would've started thinking about your Great Aunt the moment we got off the bus," Warren said with a snort.

"You think of my Great Aunt?" Layla asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Who would you prefer I think about?"

"I don't know... Does it have to be a person? Can't it just be something you don't like? Y'know, water, rain, baths, that sort of thing?"

"Hippie?  _Shut up._  Somehow you've just made me start thinking of you naked under a goddamn waterfall, and it's the most ridiculous and cliché thought that I actually feel dirty."

Layla didn't reply, and when he looked at her, Warren saw that her eyes seemed to be glazed over, and a pulse of desire came from his vine tattoo as she bit her lip. He returned the feeling, his eyes darkening as she let out a small whimper in response, and fuck it all if he didn't think that  _this was going to make masturbating the most interesting damn experience in the world all over again_.

"Study. We have to study. That's what we have to do. Not this... Not yet," Layla murmured, licking her lips as she glanced over to him. "Definitely later though," she added with a wicked grin, and that just did  **not** help Warren in the slightest.

" _Fuck me_ , hippie. You go ahead too. Let me get under control before I ravish you against a damn tree," he growled.

"Oh, we'll be doing that too," Layla said with a light laugh, turning and heading to the Hive.

Warren could have sworn that she lifted her skirt to show her thighs just to torture him. He let out a groan and thought very hard about anything but being hard.

...

"Hey, Lay, can we talk for a minute?" Zach asked, nodding briefly at Warren.

"Sure, what is it, Zach?" she asked with a smile. She touched Warren's arm slightly to indicate for him to go ahead to the bus stop with Ethan.

Zach waited a few moments until Warren was no longer in ear-shot before he turned to Layla properly. "I wanted to ask about outfits and superhero names ... uh, well, not hero, but y'know what I mean," he said with a quick grin.

"Sure. Any reason you didn't want to bring this up in front of Warren and Ethan?" she asked curiously.

"'Cause I reckon Warren will laugh, and I'd prefer not to have Ethan see me laughed at," Zach admitted, shrugging slightly. "Where are you on the outfits and stuff? I mean, I'm sure you've got it all planned out, but I don't want to be one of those sidekicks in spandex, y'know?"

"I haven't exactly thought of the outfits, honestly. All I know is that it would have masks. Nothing gaudy or ridiculous, I promise," she added.

"Uh, why masks?" Zach asked with a confused frown.

No one bothered wearing masks unless they were Royal Pain; working in a costume that was  ** _so_**  eighteen years ago, and trying to hide her gender to the rest of the world.

"Because I'd prefer to have my identity protected until I'm ready for the world to know me as a villain. It wouldn't really be beneficial to the big plan to have my face plastered on every news channel and media outlet across the globe," Layla pointed out.

"All right, I guess that's understandable. What about names then? If I get any say in it, then I still want to be called Zach Attack," he said, grinning broadly.

"You will get a say in it, I promise, but I can also promise you this: you will  _never_  be named Zach Attack while you're my sidekick. Or Zach anything-else-added-on either," she added before he could provide another suggestion.

"Why not?" Zach asked, looking crestfallen.

"What's the main thing that we're taught about supers and citizens, Zach?"

"Uh... That citizens don't have powers like supers do?" he ventured.

"Right, and what does that make us to citizens?"

"An unknown threat, usually," Zach said, still unsure as to why this meant he couldn't be called Zach Attack.

"Exactly. Now, let's say you're out in the citizen world with a regular job, then you and I go rob a bank. The next day, headlines read: Layla Flower and Zach Attack rob bank! Our pictures are plastered everywhere, and even with the mask, your hair can still be seen. With me so far?"

Zach sighed, nodding reluctantly. He seemed to understand where it was going, but Layla pressed on to really drive her point home.

"Right, so you go into work, citizens start to think and talk to each other. They realise that your name is Zach and you have blonde hair, just like the bank robber. They might disregard it for a while, because surely you're not the only blonde Zach in Maxville, but they get suspicious and start snooping around in your things - they are power-less citizens after all, and need to exert their power in any way, shape, and form they possibly can - and they find something damning. Or maybe one of them just doesn't like you for whatever reason and decides you fit the bill, and plants something on you. You'd be in Maxville Penitentiary before the week's out... Now, tell me honestly: do you still really want to be called Zach Attack?"

"No, I suppose not. I guess super alter egos are called that for a reason," he muttered sourly.

"Good decision. Now, don't worry, I promise not to call you something ridiculous like Firefly," Layla promised, grinning. "You'll definitely have a say in your name, as well as your own outfit. In fact, why don't you look into designing the outfits for both of us?"

"Seriously? You're letting me, Mr. No-Fashion-Sense, design our outfits?"

"I said design, not colour," Layla said, laughing. "Besides, I think it'd be good for both of us. I'll need to start listening to your ideas if we're going to do this together."

Zach stopped and hugged her tightly. "I won't let you down!"

"I never thought you would," she said, patting his back gently.

"Eth, you got a notepad I can borrow?" Zach called. "Oh, and I know all about the hazards of capes, so you don't have to worry about wind turbines," he said over his shoulder to Layla with a broad smile.

Layla nodded and smiled, though she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

...

 _Magenta left class crying_.

Ethan's text message distracted Layla from her Maths for Supers class, and she quickly put her hand up to excuse herself. She was allowed to leave with the provision that she didn't return with her phone, and Layla just nodded quickly, a faint tinge of red on her cheeks as she left the classroom. There was only one bathroom near the Sidekick classrooms, so it wasn't difficult to find Magenta, and Layla knocked on the cubicle door gently.

"What?" Magenta snapped, her voice rough to try and hide the fact that she was mortified at being caught crying.

"Are you all right, Magenta?" Layla asked.

Magenta opened the door slowly, looking an absolute mess with her mascara running down her cheeks and tears filling her eyes again.

"What do you care?" Magenta muttered sourly, stepping forward to move past Layla.

Putting her arm out, Layla stopped Magenta from leaving the cubicle and gave her a sweet smile. "Of course I care, Magenta. You were my best friend once; do you really think I'd forget about that just because you and Will are dating?"

Magenta looked at her in disbelief, but must have seen something in Layla's expression because she burst into tears again.

"That's right, let it all out. Now, why don't we get you cleaned up and we'll find somewhere to talk?" Layla suggested.

"But... What about your class?" Magenta asked, sniffing miserably.

"It's just math; I'll catch up," she replied with a shrug.

Magenta nodded gratefully and let Layla lead her over to the basin to clean herself up.

...

"What's all this about you skipping class for Magenta?" Warren asked when the Sky High bus was up in the air and they couldn't be overheard.

"I'm giving Magenta what she needs in a very difficult time: a friend."

"To what end, hippie? You forget that she helped Will cheat on you?"

"Of course not. I have a very specific plan of revenge for Magenta's betrayal."

"Mmm, why don't you share with the rest of the class?" Warren asked, his mouth hot against her ear.

"Oh, it's nothing much; I just plan on whittling away at her emotions until she's utterly useless as Will's sidekick."

"You think he'll choose her as a sidekick?"

"Will's a very simple and stupid creature; he wouldn't want to be parted from Magenta if he could help it, so yes, there is a very real chance that he'll ask her to be his sidekick."

"Hmm, he's stupid and naive enough to think it's a good idea. I know better; you'd never be happy being my sidekick. Not when we can work better together, side by side," Warren said, and she could feel his lips curving into a grin against her skin.

She turned to kiss him properly, but all too soon the bus landed with a heavy thump, jarring them apart. Layla muttered under her breath, Warren chuckling beside her as he put his arm around her shoulders. The Mayor's office building came into view, and Layla sighed heavily, not particularly wanting to go to work tonight. Not if meant that she had to leave Warren's side in the next three minutes.

"Don't worry about it, hippie. We'll go to the Hive tonight, and then we'll be able to continue what we started," Warren said softly.

Layla nodded reluctantly, but even she couldn't tell if he meant making out or continuing their conversation about Magenta and Will. She smiled, pressed a quick kiss to Warren's lips and hurried down to the front of the bus as they pulled up to the side of the road. Layla couldn't help but grin on feeling that her lips were still tingling with heat as she stepped onto the sidewalk.

...

"I'm heading off for the evening, Layla. Why don't you leave early tonight, if you don't have anything urgent?" the Mayor offered with a generous smile as he locked his office door on the way out.

"That's very kind of you, sir. I'll just finish replying to these emails, and I might take you up on your offer," Layla said, smiling briefly. "You have a good night with your wife at the restaurant," she called as he headed over to the elevator with a farewell over his shoulder.

"Thanks, you too," he called, obviously not listening to her past 'have a good night'.

Layla shook her head and returned her attention to the computer. She did have quite a few emails to reply to, as well as a small stack of envelopes in her in-tray to get through. She glanced over at the envelopes, almost dismissing them immediately, but saw a small bee sticker on one. Layla pulled it out from underneath the pile quickly, grinning on seeing the bees surrounding a small beehive. The address on the envelope was hand-written, and there was no return address; she could feel a weight to it, but the envelope felt  _squishy_  as well.

 _The emails could wait_ , Layla decided, opening the envelope quickly. It was padded, which explained the squishiness, and a key fell out of the packaging into her palm. A small note fluttered down onto Layla's lap and she gripped the key tightly as she used her free hand to open the note.

 _Wait until 7:40pm. You have three minutes_.

It wasn't signed, and there was nothing else to the note. Layla looked back at her computer screen and saw that it was 7pm. Forty minutes to go.  _Well, she did have some emails to reply to_.

Layla looked at the clock again when she'd finished, and was dismayed to discover that what had felt like twenty minutes was actually barely fifteen. These were going to be the longest thirty minutes of her life.

Thirty minutes later, Layla had filed all of the paperwork for  _The Monster_ , had ensured that the stack of paperwork to be signed was clipped together for the Mayor to deal with in the morning, and had even read the absolutely mind-numbingly  _boring_  minutes of the Council's last meeting. 7:33pm ticked over, and Layla barely resisted the urge to go into the Mayor's office, screw the next seven minutes. As she was about to stand up and get the spare key from Nina's desk (the Mayor didn't know about the key; apparently he still thought that security opened his office door whenever he left his key at home), her phone rang loudly and made her jump in fright.

"Hello, this is Layla," she said, trying not to sound too freaked our over the phone.

"Ah, good, you're still there. Glad I rang you then... I've left my wallet in my jacket pocket, and my jacket's hanging up behind the door. Get security to open my office door and bring my jacket down, would you? I can't be bothered coming back in again."

"Of course, sir. I'll let Dave know right away," Layla said, hanging up to call down to the foyer.

"Hi Layla; is everything all right?"

"The Mayor's left his jacket upstairs and would like you to take it out to the parking lot for him, please. I'd offer to do it myself, but I can't open his office."

"I can't leave the building; what if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen, Dave. I'm the only one in here besides you; even Maria's gone home. I won't even move from my desk until you've come back in," Layla promised.

Dave sighed heavily on the other end of the phone. "All right, fine. But I'll be coming straight back up there to the Mayor's office after I get back in the building, understood?"

"Of course, thank you."

Dave hung up and, keeping his eyes on his security screens the best he could, he headed over to the elevators. He couldn't help but smile at Layla as he went to the Mayor's office and produced a large ring of keys. It took him a minute and three tries to find the proper key, but he had it eventually, and then Dave was back at the elevators seconds later.

"Now, remember: no moving from your desk! Press the panic button if something happens!" Dave called as the doors closed.

"Huh. I didn't know I had a panic button," Layla murmured to herself, feeling under the edge of her desk carefully.

She found the button and was sorely tempted to press it, but then she noticed the time. It was 7:40pm exactly, and she had three minutes. Layla set her watch so she wouldn't go over time, and hurried to start. She was inside the Mayor's office in under thirty seconds, and was opening the Beast five seconds later. The first drawer was fairly disappointing, with Council meetings and agendas being filed haphazardly in there - and a bottle of Scotch hidden behind the files carefully.  _A minute and a half_.

The second drawer was again, full of files, but these looked like they hadn't been touched in years. This as further proved by the large cloud of dust that came out as Layla opened the drawer. She shut it again and hurried to clean her face of any traces of dust.  _A little under a minute left_.

The third drawer opened smoothly, but there were no files, just a long black box sitting in the middle of the drawer. Layla frowned and reached in to grab the box. As she moved her hand inside, she noticed a small red glow coming from the back of the drawer and adjusted herself to look closer. It was so dark that she hadn't noticed it at first, but now Layla realised that this drawer was smaller than the top two. The back panel was actually false, and as she went to touch it, Layla heard her watch beep. Her three minutes were up.

Frustrated and curious beyond belief, Layla made herself close the drawer without doing anything, and hurried back to her desk, making sure to pocket the key for the Beast, and return the office key to Nina's desk as well.

Dave sat down at his security screens a few seconds later, and called up to Layla's desk, deciding not to go up there since he'd already locked the office door on the way out.

"Nothing happened, Dave. Am I allowed to move now?" Layla asked, grinning over to the camera.

"Sure thing; the Mayor said you're to take the rest of the night off, and that's an order," Dave said with a chuckle.

"Sir, yes, sir," Layla said, thanking him and hanging up. She just hoped he wouldn't get suspicious and look at the camera's backlog.

...

Warren was silent as they came to the Hive's forest, and kept his hand against the small of Layla's back as he guided her down the path. She was quiet as well, her cheeks burning. Layla had very recently discovered that Warren touching the small of her back was a hell of a turn on, especially when his hand was almost hot enough to burn through her clothes. (He didn't dare let himself lose control and burn her clothes again though; Layla had thrown her shirt out to avoid being punished by Greta, and he doubted the old bag would buy anything new for Layla without a damn good reason.)

"We're inside now; will you tell me what's going on?" Layla asked when the Hive door closed behind them.

""Not yet, hippie. We're not far enough away yet."

"Away from what?"

Warren didn't answer and simply headed to the library where the trap door was. Layla followed him, curious enough to not be angry just yet.

"All right, this should be far enough. Can you feel them?" Warren asked when they finally stopped walking almost ten minutes later.

"Feel what?" Layla asked irritably.

"The trees. We should be as far away from the forest as possible, right?"

Layla took a moment to release her power and feel for her trees. Their roots were in the ground, but they were still growing and hadn't reached this part of the Hive yet.

"So it's safe to kiss you then?" Warren asked, grinning at her broadly.

Layla answered him by drawing him into a heated kiss, his vine tattoo spinning wildly as he felt thorns digging into his skin. Phantom flames flickered along her wrist in return, and Warren pressed her up against the closest wall to continue kissing her. This time they weren't interrupted.

...

End of the thirty-second chapter.


	33. Chapter 33

It was a whole week before Layla was able to get back into the Mayor's office and inspect the Beast again. She'd organised the plan with Warren at the Hive that weekend, and he was currently downstairs distracting Dave while she slipped into the Mayor's office.

Layla opened the bottom drawer of the Beast, and ignoring the black box sitting on the bottom of the drawer, she reached back pulled the false panel off instead. The small red glow she'd seen last week now illuminated the entire drawer, and in the odd light, Layla could see that the black box was actually an access panel, with a hand scanner on the left and a number pad on the right. She shuddered, extremely glad that she hadn't touched the box. Being caught red-handed trying to open whatever this accessed would lead straight to a cell in Maxville Super Penitentiary, no matter how innocent she claimed to be.

She might be able to guess the numbers, but without the Mayor's hand print, Layla doubted she'd ever access what was hidden within the Beast. Layla wondered if the Mayor would notice if she tried to cut his hand off.  _Hmm, probably; even he wasn't_ ** _that_** _dense_.

Closing the drawer, Layla headed back out to her desk and packed her bag to go home. There was no use hanging about trying to get into something that was beyond her reach at the moment. Heading down to the foyer, Layla smiled at Warren brightly, and thanked Dave for keeping her boyfriend company.

"Oh, not a problem. Always nice to have someone to talk to once in a while," Dave said with a quick nod.

"You have a good night, Dave," Layla said, Warren shaking his hand in farewell and following her outside.

Neither one spoke on the way to the bus stop, and Layla tried to think of a way to get the Mayor's handprint without raising anyone's suspicions or costing her a small fortune. She had no way of making a copiable gelatine handprint, and doubted the Mayor would touch it even if she did. Besides, Layla suspected that sort of thing only worked in movies.

"What did you find out?" Warren asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder when they reached the bus stop.

"That we're going to need a lot more time than just a few minutes while Dave's distracted," she muttered, sighing. "That black box I told you about is actually an access panel. Handprint and code required. I have no idea how we're going to get the Mayor's handprint, even if we do work out the code."

Warren didn't reply, but was obviously thinking about what she'd said.

"Craig," he said suddenly. "He owes you a favour, doesn't he?" Warren asked, grinning.

"He already helped out with the lottery ticket, so he doesn't owe anything to us. Yet," Layla added, trying to think of a way to get a favour from Craig without him asking questions.

"We could just make him a permanent marker," Warren replied. "That way we don't have to bribe him every time we need something."

"Yeah, that  _would_ make it easier. But how do we make him permanent? We've only just got Ethan and Zach on board."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I doubt we'll be able to figure out that access panel's code in the next week, or even month. We're not even going to be ready to deal with whatever's in there with only us, Ethan, Zach, and maybe Honey. What we need is time, and now that the Mayor's been re-elected, time is definitely on our side. I say we leave it for now, work on things that we can actually handle, and then go back to it when we're ready."

Layla smiled up at him brightly. "I love it when you think of the bigger picture."

Warren grinned and pulled her close, kissing her heatedly. He heard the bus coming up over the hill and flagged it down, not moving away from Layla until it came to a complete stop beside them. The bus driver gave them a nod, starting to recognise them as regulars, and actually waited until they were seated before driving back onto the road.

...

Heidi was  _bored_. She had finished her homework, didn't feel like watching TV, and she'd already read every good book in the house. Zach was out with Ethan, her parents were at work, and as far as Heidi was concerned, there was absolutely  _nothing_  for her to do. Deciding to go out for the day - she'd leave and be back before anyone could find out - Heidi grabbed her things, turned her hearing aid on, and left the house. She made sure to lock the door before heading to the bus stop down the street.

The mall wasn't Heidi's most favourite place, especially since people seemed to knock into each other already, without taking into account that she couldn't hear them properly to get out of the way. She usually didn't go somewhere so busy without Zach, since he could help her calm down, but she didn't have that choice today. Heidi headed inside, trying to decide whether she should spend some of her saved money to watch one of the closed captioning movies at the cinema, or if she should just browse the toy store and pretend she could buy whatever she wanted. Figuring the toy store was a safer option - she didn't want to be out too long in case Zach or her parents came home to find her not there - Heidi headed in the direction of the store, keeping her eyes alert on the people around her.

Up ahead Layla and Warren exited a store, Warren's arm around her waist as Layla chatted away about something. They were both carrying bags filled with what looked to be pots and pans, and as Heidi hurried closer and really concentrated on what their lips were saying, she realised that Layla was talking about plate patterns. Heidi wasn't concentrating on the people around her properly, her gaze focused on Layla and Warren, and she didn't hear when a store's door opened to the side of her, two people stepping out. Heidi knocked into them, all three going flying, and drawing the attention of passersby when the other two let out a string of curses. Layla and Warren hurried over when they saw Heidi, and helped her up as the man and woman stood up, cursing at Heidi for her ineptitude, attitude, and whatever else they could think of. Heidi shrank in on herself, and the store's fluorescent sign began to flicker brightly.

"Calm down, dude, she's deaf and didn't hear you coming out of the store," Warren said, glaring at the older man.

"Are you okay, Heidi?" Layla asked clearly, moving slightly so she was on eye-level with her.

Heidi nodded, signing thank you to Layla then turned to the couple and signed an apology, trying to look as contrite as possible.

"She's apologised, and it was an accident. Nothing's broken, you and your girlfriend are both fine, and that sort of language is really not necessary. Please apologise," Layla added sternly, her arm wrapped around Heidi's shoulder.

The man went a bright shade of red when he realised the size of the crowd that had gathered. He muttered something under his breath that had Layla tightening her hold on Heidi, and Warren stepped forward.

"That wasn't an apology."

"Sorry," he said louder, but not at all believable. He grabbed his girlfriend's arm and pulled her away, the rest of the crowd dispersing when they saw that Heidi would be all right.

"Huh, look at that."

"What?" Layla asked Warren, frowning.

"We did something good and no camera crew turned up!" he said, snorting.

"Don't jinx it. Where were you planning on going, Heidi?" Layla asked, smiling at her.

Heidi just shrugged and fixed her hearing aid. "Nowhere, really."

"Well, in that case, want to come with us? We've just bought a bunch of new things and need to try them out," Layla said, holding up her bags with a grin.

Heidi nodded quickly. She didn't care where they were going, just so long as it was far away from here.

Layla grinned again and offered Heidi her hand, guiding her outside of the mall with Warren walking beside them. Heidi was quiet as she went with Layla and Warren to the bus stop, wondering just where they were taking her. She frowned slightly when they flagged down a bus that Heidi knew went to the outskirts of Maxville, where there was nothing but paddocks and unused land.

"Where are we going?"

"Just wait and see," Layla said, grinning.

They sat with Heidi in the middle of the bus - they could have their pick of seats, even for a busy Saturday - and when they were far enough out of the metropolitan area, Layla nodded out of the window with a grin. Heidi followed her gaze and saw the weeds along the side of the road bursting into wild and vibrant flowers as the bus passed, then fading back to their original plant when they were no longer in sight. Heidi stared, amazed at the control Layla had over her power, and wishing she could get to be as good as her some day. The flowers kept Heidi entertained for the rest of the bus ride, and she was startled when Layla tapped her on the shoulder, nodding towards the bus stop just ahead. The bus came to a slow stop, and they gathered their bags, getting off the bus with Layla thanking the driver over her shoulder. Heidi hurried to do the same, but the doors closed and the bus tore off, and she doubted that she'd been heard.

"Just a few minutes' walk, and we'll be at the Hive," Layla said, flexing the bags in her hands before walking up the road with Heidi beside her. Warren wasn't far behind, still holding his own selection of bags as well.

Heidi had been down just last year when her parents took her and Zach to their grandparents for the summer. She knew the road was nothing special, full of paddocks with weeds as white as Zach's hair, and not much else. There weren't even many people that lived out this way - the farmers were still further south where the soil was actually amenable to letting things grow higher than a foot tall - so when they came over the hill and Heidi saw an actual forest in one of the blocks of land, she was surprised to say the least.

Layla gave a soft laugh at her expression, and Warren grinned broadly too.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, kid. C'mon, I need to put these bags down like yesterday," Warren added, striding ahead.

Layla winked at Heidi and they followed after him at a normal pace. Heidi stared as she came closer to the forest, the trees seeming to sway in a breeze she wasn't entirely certain she could feel, and followed Layla and Warren along the path. Heidi stopped short on seeing the house behind it, the wood a warm colour of honey, a porch wrapped around the entire thing, and it looked so inviting that Heidi found herself taking a step forward before she realised it. Layla and Warren were waiting at the front door for her patiently, and Heidi blushed, hurrying up the steps to the house.

"Welcome to the Hive," Layla said, smiling broadly as she opened the front door.

...

On Monday morning, Warren and Layla were met at the bus stop by Zach, who looked to be vibrating with nervous energy. He walked with them a way up to the school building, waiting until the rest of the students were out of sight before tugging Layla aside. (No matter if he was starting to recognise when Warren was joking or not, Zach didn't want to physically pull  _him_  aside; he wasn't suicidal, thank you very much!)

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Layla?" Zach hissed at Layla.

"Good morning to you too, Zach," she replied, raising an eyebrow pointedly.

"Don't you pull that shit on me, Layla; what the hell do you think you're doing showing Heidi The Hive?" he hissed, eyes darting around to see if anyone was listening. "She's too young to be involved in this."

"Warren and I showed Heidi the house itself, Zach. Heidi helped us organise the kitchen with the new plates and utensils we bought on the weekend," Layla said firmly, watching as Zach's shoulders sagged in relief. "And Heidi's not too young, actually. It's actually a perfect age," she added, ignoring Zach's squawk of protest, "Heidi's starting to question the morality of heroes and villains in a way that school assignments will never allow her, and I'm all for letting people choose their own path."

"But, Lay. She's my kid sister."

Warren finally looked alert enough from his morning coffee too contribute to the conversation, and shook his head at Zach with a small snort. "Exactly, glow worm. Don't you think she'd be better on our side, than  _theirs?_ " he asked, nodding over to the Sky High building. "Heroes and villains alike have kidnapped family members and loved ones in order to make the villain or hero cooperate."

Zach actually paled at that, and he looked a bit sick at the thought.

"Honestly, Zach, we're not going to do anything to Heidi. She's like a younger sister I never knew I wanted, and I won't hurt her - or let her get hurt - all right?" Layla added.

"Yeah, she's a good kid. We're not forcing her to be a permanent maker," Warren said with a shrug, throwing his disposable coffee cup in the recycling bin.

"A what?" Zach asked, looking between them with a slight frown, but at least he seemed interested rather than ill.

Warren smirked. "We'll explain to you and Ethan later," he said, just as the school bell rang. "You go ahead, Layla. I'll see you at lunch."

Layla looked intrigued as to what he was going to talk to Zach about, but relented with a nod, and headed up to the school building, humming under her breath.

Warren put an arm around Zach's shoulder firmly, leading him up to the building at a slower pace. "You  _ever_  even  _think_  about grabbing Layla like that again, I'll burn your dick off, and I'll do it  **slowly** , got it?"

Zach's eyes widened; Warren was being a  _hundred and ten percent_ ** _serious_**. "Yes, I got it! I was just worried, Warren, you've gotta understand that."

"I do understand, trust me on that. But if you do something like that when you're  _just worried_ , what will you do when you're  _just angry?_ "

Warren patted him on the back firmly and left Zach standing in front of the school entrance, stock-still on the steps and feeling like complete and utter shit.

Inside the classroom, Layla smiled softly as she thought of Heidi's pleas over the weekend: to let her know what they were planning with Zach and Ethan, to let her in on the plans, and to ignore anything that Zach said because he was just being overprotective of her as he always had been, but she could totally handle herself.  _Promise_.

Heidi's eyes had been wide and pleading, and Layla had smiled at her, telling Heidi that when the time was right, she would know their plans and no one - not even Zach - would stop her from participating.  _Promise_.

...

End of the thirty-third chapter.


	34. Chapter 34

Magenta gave Layla a small smile as she passed her with Will at lunch, and Layla returned the smile brightly. Craig, Larry, and Adam stared at Layla like she'd grown a second head.

"What was all that about, Layla?" Craig asked, eyes wide.

"Nothing," she replied with a shrug.

Adam scoffed. "Uh, yeah. That was nothing. You're  _smiling_  at the chick that helped your ex cheat on you."

"Magenta was my friend before that."

"Key word?  _Was_ ," Larry pointed out, adjusting his glasses. "Now, spill, what's going on? Is this one of those chick-flicks where you're both really friends and you're going to break Stronghold's heart or something?"

"Um, no. I don't think I've seen that movie," Layla said, grinning slightly. "I'm just trying to be a good friend to Magenta. She's been treated very cruelly in all of this, and I don't like to see people suffer."

"You're a better friend than I am," Adam said, shaking his head. "Either one of these guys hooked up with my girl, I'd drop 'em off the edge of the school."

"Wow, that's harsh," Craig said, eyes wide.

"Don't like cheaters, that's all," Adam replied with a shrug.

" _Daddy issues_ ," Donny coughed as he walked past the table with Wendy.

"Ignore him, Adam. Or, if you can't do that, imagine your grandmother in a skimpy bikini."

All three boys shuddered at the sudden mental image, and there was a noise of pure disgust from Donny at the front of the cafeteria. Adam snickered at the noise, and high-fived Larry with a broad grin. Craig laughing as he changed into Donny's form, shuddering with a horrified expression on his face and others at surrounding tables joined in with his laughter.

"Craig, that's not funny," Layla said, all trace of humour gone from her expression.

"Uh, what?"

"You're making fun of someone and belittling them, and it's not funny," Layla replied simply.

Slowly, and obviously confused, he shifted back to his normal form. "But it's  _Donny_."

"Your point?"

"Uh, he's a bully on par with Speed and Lash; he's like one exploding science experiment away from becoming a full-on villain."

"Why do you say that? Because he's telepathic, or because he speaks the truth about the things he hears and it upsets you?"

"No, but... Well, everyone... I mean, everyone does it."

"Everyone does  _what_  exactly? Humiliates someone because they said something that was rude or unacceptable?" Layla asked, barely glancing over to the door where she knew Donny and Wendy were still waiting.

"Well, no, but ... you just!"

"I just  _what?_ " Layla asked firmly. "I mentioned a mental image that would cause some slight discomfort, but would only be known between yourself and Donny. It's not something that he can project to the rest of the school, and it was done as retribution for what he said about Adam, nothing more. You went one step further and made an effort to publicly harm Donny's reputation. Now, I'd ask you to apologise, but I think you've learnt your lesson," she said, now looking over to Donny, who gave a brief nod and left with Wendy quickly.

"Yeah. I won't do it again," Craig muttered, looking thoroughly chastised.

"Thank you. Now, would the three of you like to come to the movies with me and my friends on the weekend?" Layla asked, smiling at them again.

"I'll come," Craig said quickly, not wanting to upset Layla again.

"What are you going to see?" Adam asked.

"Which friends?" Larry asked dubiously.

"I was planning on watching  _28 Pays Later_ ; Warren, Zach, and Ethan have been invited as well," Layla replied.

"That's the new zombie one, right?" Craig asked, actually sounding excited. "I've heard good things about it."

"Same. I'm in, just let me know the time. Mind if I invite my girlfriend?" Adam asked.

"Not at all; who are you dating again?" Layla asked curiously.

"Lisa, she works on the school paper."

"Oh, is she the one that has three eyes?"

"Yeah, that's her," Adam said, grinning. "She's awesome. Ben's friends with her too, y'know, with the six arms? He's really good at collating the papers, apparently," he said with a slight chuckle.

"I imagine so," Layla said with a grin of her own, the bell ringing loudly to signify the end of lunch. "If you want to invite anyone, that's fine, so long as you all buy your own tickets," she added.

"No problem. Text us the details later for times," Craig said as Layla stood and headed over to Warren's table.

"Hey," Layla said, kissing him firmly and pulling away with a smile.

"Hey yourself, hippie. Enjoy lunch?" Warren asked.

"Yes, I did. We're going to the movies this weekend with everyone," Layla said.

"Whoa, what? What movie, who's everyone?" he asked in surprise.

" _28 Pays Later_ ; Zach, Ethan, Craig, Larry, Adam, possibly his girlfriend Lisa, and if I can convince them, Wendy and Donny too. Did you know they were a couple?" Layla asked curiously.

"No, and I don't care. Why are we going out to the movies with that many people? It could be just us," Warren added, voice hot and rough as he pressed a kiss just below her ear.

"Hmm, it could be, but that's not going to help with our future plans, is it?" she murmured, taking his hand and leading him out of the cafeteria.

"Really,  _those_  three?" Zach asked, sounding insulted as he and Ethan hurried to catch up to them.

"No, actually, not all three of them. Oh, that reminds me. Ethan, I have a plan to discuss with you. Warren, you'll ask Donny and Wendy about this weekend, won't you? They're in your year, after all."

"I'm not friends with them, hippie," Warren muttered, even as Ethan brightened up at the idea of getting to discuss a plan with Layla.

"That's what these kinds of outings are for: to make friends. Just think loudly in Donny's direction if you really don't want to say it out loud," Layla said with a laugh. "Zach, go to class and make sure to distract Mr. Boy for Ethan, please. I won't keep him long," she added, taking Ethan's arm and leading him outside through the hallway's side exit.

"Right. We'd better do as she says, Warren," Zach said over his shoulder, heading to English for Hero Support.

Warren sighed and headed to his own Mad Science class.

"What's the plan, Layla?" Ethan asked eagerly.

"I need you to join the school paper."

"Uh, what?"

"Adam's girlfriend Lisa is on the paper, and she's friends with Ben. According to things I've heard, Ben likes Lisa, but won't do anything while she's with Adam. I want you on the school paper to make sure they get together. Ben's only on the paper to get closer to her, and Lisa's in her senior year next year, she won't have time for both a boyfriend and the school paper."

"What? How will getting those two together help with anything?" Ethan asked, eyes wide behind his glasses.

"Think of it as the first step to gaining control. Media influences people, right? You being on the paper means we get to influence to people, to make sure they only know what we want them to know. With Lisa and Ben more focused on each other than the paper, you'll have more control."

"Like a hostile takeover: control the way your opposition's seen, and everyone will think you're the hero not the tyrant?"

"Exactly," Layla said, seeming pleased at his interpretation.

"All right, I'll do it. Mum's saying stuff about extra-curricular activities for college applications, anyway," Ethan said, grinning a little at the idea of being able to do both at once.

"You're amazing, Ethan. Let me know how it goes, okay? You'd better get to English before Mr. Boy notices," she added, and Ethan nodded quickly in return, hurrying inside.

Layla hoped that Warren would be able to convince Donny and Wendy just as easily. They needed to get everyone used to one another before they could start anything more  _permanent_.

...

 _Hey, Donny!_  Warren thought loudly.

The other boy didn't even acknowledge the thought. Warren gritted his teeth and contemplated flicking bits of his eraser at Donny instead. Donny turned and glowered at that.

_Movies with me, Layla, and a bunch of others on Saturday?_

Donny's glower turned to a look of confusion, and Warren raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response. Donny looked over to Wendy, then nodded quickly. Thankful that his job had been completed successfully, Warren turned his attention back to Mr. Medulla's lecture about death rays.  _Might come in handy one day_.

A few seconds later, a ball of paper hit Warren's arm, and he took a moment to stare at it, because who the fuck passed notes like that anymore? He unrolled it, though he was seriously tempted to just burn it into a pile of ash instead.

'How do I ask Wendy out? Donny.'

_Oh fuck, this is so not what he was meant to do. Why the hell couldn't people deal with their own shit on their own?_

"Mr. Peace, would you care to elaborate on the topic, or is the piece of paper you just received more vital than learning the difference between a shrink ray and a death ray?" Mr. Medulla asked, sidling up next to Warren.

Warren rolled his eyes and set fire to the small crumpled piece of paper. "Remember who had to change your diaper, Medulla?" he growled under his breath.

Medulla paled slightly, gave a cough, and moved to the front of the classroom again. "As I was saying..."

Donny looked back at Warren, giving a small hand and face motion as if to say 'well?!', and Warren seriously wanted to smack his head against a wall instead of deal with this crap.

 _I don't fucking know! Tell her she looks nice, say you're interested, and ask if she wants to go to the movies; let her decide if it's as friends or not, and don't be a dick and push the issue if she says no_.

Donny gave a slight nod, and turned his attention back to Mr. Medulla.

 _Fucking hell, if a damn telepath couldn't work out how to talk to someone he liked, what hope did the rest of them have?!_  Warren wondered, shaking his head.

...

"Be thankful you have Ethan, okay, glow stick?" Warren muttered as he headed past him to his next class.

"Uh, all right. Thanks for the advice?" Zach called after him, wary and a little confused. "Oh, hey, Layla, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. Can we talk on the way to class?" Layla asked.

Zach nodded quickly, moving so he was walking beside her. "I just wanted to apologise for grabbing you the way I did yesterday. I'm sorry for doing that, I never meant to hurt you."

Layla was ready to forgive him in a second, to brush off the whole incident, but from his expression, she could tell that Zach thought it needed more than that.

"Thank you for apologising, Zach. I forgive you, but if you try it again, I'll make sure it won't happen again, all right?"

Zach nodded, knowing he wouldn't let himself do it again anyway. "Thanks, Lay. Oh, what did you tell Eth? He's been grinning like crazy, and I can tell he's planning something big in that head of his."

"Get Ethan to tell you later," Layla said, smiling before she headed into the Mad Science classroom.

Realising that he had his class on the other side of the building, Zach turned and started running through the corridors, narrowly missing the other students.

...

End of the thirty-fourth chapter.


	35. Chapter 35

"Congratulations on making the school paper, Ethan. What did your parents say?" Layla asked, grinning at him.

"They were so proud that mum made me a cake. I'm tempted to join the yearbook committee next week," Ethan said, laughing.

"You never told me there was cake!" Zach said, sounding scandalised. "I would've come sooner to eat my fill."

"And there's the reason I didn't tell you," Ethan pointed out, grinning. He stood up on his toes to press a quick kiss to Zach's cheek, both of them blushing gently.

"Still planning on  _28 Pays Later_ , Lay? There's some other movies out this week that look just as good," Zach suggested, looking up at the board.

Beside him, Heidi tugged on his sleeve and then signed something, looking excited.

"Really, that one? Oh, I didn't see that. Nice, Heids," Zach replied, signing back to her as well.

"Everything okay?" Layla asked.

"Fine; Heidi just saw that one of the movies has closed captioning, so she can watch it on her own without being forced to see a movie she can't understand, and have to watch me and Eth make out."

"Heidi didn't really say all of that, did she?" Ethan asked, blushing again.

"Well, I might've added the last bit on. Doesn't mean it's not true," Zach added, winking.

"Hey, Layla!" Larry called to her, waving as he made his way over with Craig; Adam and Lisa beside them.

"Hey guys. You ready for the movie?" Layla asked, smiling at them.

"Yeah! Bring on the zombies!" Craig said, grinning.

"We're going to line up for tickets so Heids doesn't miss her movie," Zach called, heading over to the line with Heidi.

"I'm going to get mine, too. I don't want to miss the opening credits," Ethan said, hurrying after them.

"Uh, we might get ours too," Adam said, the other three leaving with him.

Left by herself for the moment, Layla looked up at the screen showing previews of upcoming films. The screen was playing a clip of an upcoming horror movie, the usual damsel in distress screaming and running, the madman chasing after her with a blood-covered knife. There was another scream and the knife was plunged into the woman's stomach, throwing her back across the room with the force. All too fiercely, Layla was reminded of her mother, seeing her thrown across a field.

All of a sudden the cinema foyer felt much too small, there were too many people, she couldn't breathe, but she couldn't move, she couldn't get away. Layla felt as though she was gasping for air, making a spectacle of herself, everyone was staring, and she could hear the rushing of her blood as it hammered through her body far too fast. Her vision started to get spotty, black dots littering her vision, and still, all Layla could see was her mother's body, broken and lifeless in front of her. Layla couldn't breathe, couldn't make herself take in air, couldn't make her mouth work; she was completely frozen.

Mere seconds before she fainted, Layla felt a wave of heat flowing through her. She blinked a few times, slow and languid as she thawed, to see Warren standing in front of her. He looked worried, and as feeling returned to her tingling limbs, Layla realised that he was holding her wrist, the flames circling wildly beneath his fingers. Her fears had been unfounded, no one was staring, and it seemed as though they were completely oblivious to her panic attack.

"You okay?" Warren asked.

Layla licked her lips and gave a slight shake of her head.

"Want to get out of here?"

"No. Not yet. I just... I need dark, I need to breathe," Layla replied, closing her eyes for a moment.

Warren looked over to the movie screening times, then gave a short nod, his hand slipping down to hold Layla's hand instead. "C'mon, hippie."

Layla opened her eyes again and followed Warren without hesitation. She heard him tell Ethan and Zach to create a diversion, and before he'd even finished, Heidi had burst several lightbulbs at one of the cinema entrances. A few people screamed, and the cinema staff ran over to help. While they were distracted, Warren led Layla past the usher's booth and down to a particular cinema. It was empty, credits rolling on the screen, and Warren sat on a seat. He tugged Layla down onto his lap, moving her so she was facing his shoulder, her vision blocked from the screen.

"Breathe, hippie. I've got you," Warren said, pressing a hot kiss to her skin as he wrapped his arms around her, firm and comforting.

Layla let herself relax, breathing in and out slowly, listening to the pulse of Warren's heartbeat.

"How'd you know it would be empty?" Layla asked when she felt calmer.

"It's the only movie that has two showings; it means it was already released a month or so ago, and most people have already seen it. This will be probably be the last weekend it's screened," Warren added. "Better?"

"A little. Let's go out to the others; I'll be all right," Layla said, pulling back from his shoulder.

There was a cough nearby, and they both looked over to see the cleaner standing there, looking embarrassed. Realising the position they were in, with Layla practically straddling Warren's lap, Layla tried not to laugh at the cleaner's misconception and stood up, hoping she looked contrite rather than amused. Warren just rolled his eyes and took her hand as they left the cinema together.

Donny and Wendy had arrived, and their group of friends were waiting by the usher's booth with their tickets, getting them processed by the usher. The glass was still being cleaned at the cinema, signs and velvet rope blocking the area.

"We wondered where you two'd gone," Craig said, grinning and looking between them. "Just couldn't wait 'til you got inside, hey?" he added with an exaggerated wink.

"Funny, Craig," Layla said, rolling her eyes.

Craig didn't seem to mind the sarcasm, laughing as he headed to the cinema with the others. Heidi waved goodbye and headed to her own movie. Zach waited to the side as Ethan handed a ticket each to Layla and Warren.

"You didn't have to buy our tickets, Ethan," Layla said, Warren taking her ticket and offering it to the usher.

"You can buy the next one for me and Zach; he wants to watch  _The Commander and Jetstream vs. King Kamehamayhem_ ," Ethan said, shaking his head as they headed towards the cinema.

"It's a remake of the original movie, which obviously means it's going to be even  _worse_ ; therefore: I can mock them as much as I want to," Zach said, grinning.

"You might want to wait for a later session; some people can get fanatic when Jetstream and The Commander are involved, even if it's a bad movie," Layla added.

"I really don't think the movie can be worse than the original. You could still see the strings on the actress they used!" Ethan said.

"Yeah, but this time they're using CGI," Zach said, grinning. "As good as special effects are getting, you can still tell when someone's in front of a green screen pretending to fly."

"Why didn't they just use Blue McQueen? She can hover, and she's an actor," Ethan pointed out.

"Blue McQueen is a B-movie star at best; Hollywood would only want A-listers for a movie about The Commander and Jetstream," Zach said with a laugh, leading the way up the stairs to their seats.

"What's so funny?" Larry asked eagerly as they sat down.

"Talking about the new Jetstream and The Commander movie; Ethan thinks Blue McQueen could've been Jetstream."

"No way!" Craig said, glancing around quickly before changing his features to Blue McQueen's. "You think  _this_  looks like Jetstream?"

"I think you overestimated the length of her chin, Craig," Wendy said.

"And her eyes are blue, not green," Adam pointed out.

Craig groaned and shifted back to his normal appearance. "That's not the point I was trying to make, you all suck."

Zach laughed. "They were right; you rushed it and did a crappy job, Craig."

Craig gave Zach the finger, but he was grinning, so no one thought he was actually offended.

"Oh, previews are on; be quiet," Ethan said, putting his hand over Zach's mouth.

Zach made an indignant squawk, muffled by Ethan's hand, but no one came to his defence. He quietened down, Ethan's hand slipping away when he was sure that Zach would stay that way.

Layla felt a rush of relief that the preview she'd had a panic attack over earlier wasn't one of the previews shown. Warren squeezed her hand gently as the movie started, then they all sat quietly as the opening credits started, a zombie stumbling onto the screen.

Layla didn't feel a rush of panic, she didn't freeze, and she continued to breathe normally. The zombies on screen - far more decrepit and disgusting than the scene she'd seen outside - held no sway over her. She briefly wondered if it was because she knew that she had been coming to see a zombie film, whereas the preview had startled her, coming out of nowhere. Warren glanced at her when a zombie claimed it's first victim inside of a bank (less than 2 minutes into the movie, surely that was a record?), but she gave him a reassuring smile and turned her attention back to the movie again, Warren doing the same beside her.

Almost thirty minutes later, Zach groaned loudly. "I can't stand it anymore! This movie actually sucks."

"Oh, thank god; I thought it was just me," Lisa said, snickering.

"What's wrong with it?" Larry asked, looking at them worriedly.

"Not enough time to go into it; bad plot, bad acting, bad graphics, bad acting."

"You already said that," Larry said.

"It's true," Adam replied, wincing when the male lead declared his love for the female lead in the middle of banking their cheques with an armed bank teller.

"Who reckons the woman will be bitten?" Craig asked.

"I think the man will. There's meant to be a twist in this, according to the reviews," Ethan said, finally giving in on his 'no talking' rule - the movie was bad enough to warrant rule-breaking.

"I don't think I care enough to stay long enough to find out," Donny groaned.

"What's Heidi watching?" Layla asked Zach.

"She's watching the new animated movie about the platypus and the duck that steal a rocket to save their monkey friend from the space circus. It's showing in cinema 4."

Without a word, Wendy was out of her seat in a flurry, and Donny followed her out a second later.

"Are they switching cinemas?" Larry asked, eyes wide in concern.

"I think they just really needed the bathroom," Layla lied, Adam barely holding back a snort of laughter.

From the expression on his face, Larry didn't believe her. "Should we tell someone? I mean, that's not right that they've switched cinemas in the middle of this movie."

"It's not the end of the world, Larry. They already paid for a movie, who cares if they leave one for another? It's not like this place is fully packed," Craig said, clapping Larry on the back.

Another cheque was banked on screen, and as someone came in to make a withdrawal, they were bombarded by several zombies, dying with a theatrical scream.

"That's all I can take. I think I'm looking forward to the space platypus and duck," Zach said, standing and edging his way out of the aisle.

Ethan grimaced at the screen and followed after Zach. Craig left, imitating one of the actor's screams dramatically. Larry looked like he'd been personally offended, and his expression only grew more wounded as Adam and Lisa left as well, leaving him alone with Layla and Warren.

"Are you staying, Layla?" Larry asked hopefully.

"No. I would've left ten minutes ago if I'd known there was another option. Why don't you come as well?" Layla offered, Warren already standing and waiting.

"I don't want to leave. I'm enjoying the movie," he replied, stubbornly.

"All right. If you change your mind, we're in Cinema 4, okay?" Layla said.

Larry's stubborn expression softened briefly, but then he nodded curtly and turned his attention back to the movie.

Layla left with Warren, grinning broadly. This was going even better than they'd planned.

The usher saw them walk past, but didn't look as though he was going to stop or reprimand them, even as they blatantly walked straight into another cinema. Warren shook his head and headed over to where their friends were crowded. Heidi was giving Zach a quick rundown on what had happened so far in the movie, her hands moving fast as he translated to the others.

"So, basically, the girl platypus is called Plati, the boy duck is called Bill, and the girl monkey is called Chimp? Chimp was kidnapped by space pirates who run a circus in space in order to steal from the people that attend, and Bill and Plati have to convince NASA to give them a rocket so they can go save Chimp?"

Heidi nodded firmly, grinning.

"This already sounds better than  _28 Pays Later_ ," Craig said, settling back on his chair to watch the movie.

 _Fifteen minutes later_...

"I don't even care how Chimp is juggling balls of fire, that's just awesome. Why don't you do that, Warren?" Zach asked, grinning brightly.

"Because I'm not an animated monkey being forced to participate in a circus in space," Warren replied.

"Semantics," Zach said, waving him off. Ethan covered his mouth again and Zach visibly deflated, his shoulders drooping low.

"Be quiet, I want to know how Plati's going to get Bill away from Captain Octopus."

Zach nodded and Ethan took his hand away again, patting Zach on the leg when he looked a little low.

"We'll talk about it afterwards, okay?"

"Okay," Zach replied, voice soft.

A sword fight between a seven-legged octopus (she lost one in a different fight, and had a peg leg replacement) and a platypus who could only use their tail as a shield was somewhat one-sided, but somehow Plati still managed to disarm the Captain and free both Bill and Chimp from the lower decks of the pirates' ship. Layla thought it was charmingly predictable to make the good guys win, if a little boring. Then Captain Octopus stood up on her seven legs and dove for Bill and Chimp (the monkey had become a favourite with the crowds, drawing in more people than her crew could pickpocket), wrapping her legs around them tightly and forcing Plati to choose.

Plati chose Chimp, Bill looked appropriately devastated for a duck, and Captain Octopus looked surprised but victorious after a moment. Then Chimp withdrew two swords that had been stolen while in the octopus' grasp, and Chimp and Plati worked together to free Bill. When Captain Octopus' was sushi, the three friends flew back home in the rocket ship Bill and Plati had stolen from NASA.

"I can't believe Plati chose Chimp!" Wendy said as they left the cinema after the usual post-credits musical.

"She knew that Chimp had the swords though; Bill wouldn't have been able to use them, even if he did get them! He's a duck!" Donny argued.

"Bill could've bitten his way free from Captain Octopus. He still had those razor-sharp teeth that one of the space pirates stole from that little old grandma," Adam pointed out.

"Heidi thinks the grandma was awesome," Zach said, grinning at his sister.

"I think I'd watch a sequel just about her," Lisa agreed.

"But then you won't find out what happens when Captain Octopus' first mate escapes the lion cage; they've got to go on from that!" Craig said. "You can't tell me that you don't want to know how the lion's going to go against that hedgehog?"

Layla was about to answer, Warren on his phone beside her, when they saw Larry leaving his cinema as well. They stopped to wait, no one wanting to admit they'd forgotten about him, and Larry hurried to catch up with them.

"The reviews were right; the ending for  _28 Pays Later_  was so unexpected!" he exclaimed as soon as he was close enough to talk without yelling.

"What happened?" Ethan asked, curious but not burning with a need for knowledge, not like he usually did.

"You'll have to watch it to find out; I'm not going to spoil it," Larry replied.

Warren looked up from his phone. "The guy was a zombie all along; he was the first person that got bitten, but he just managed to last longer because he was under the influence and the virus mutated. And there's going to be a sequel with the grandmother," he added, looking to Heidi.

Heidi looked excited, signing something to her brother, and tugging on Lisa's sleeve.

"She's going to use the hedgehog as a pin cushion to get her pearl earrings back," Zach said.

"I think she'd be more concerned about her teeth first!" Lisa replied, laughing.

Heidi gave a shrug.

"How'd you know that about the movie?" Larry demanded of Warren, standing up as tall as he could.

"I read the reviews before I came here; one of them was a spoiler."

Larry looked like he wanted to power up right then and there. The cinema might not have been packed full of people, but there were still enough that causing a scene probably wasn't a good idea.

"Who's up for ice cream?" Layla offered.

Heidi waved enthusiastically, Zach barely a second behind her. Ethan just laughed and put his hand up as well, not waving quite as much. The others all joined in, Wendy keeping her hand low and probably trying not to look as though she knew them. Warren didn't bother raising his hand and just lead the way out of the cinema and towards the ice cream store on the corner.

Before they could go inside, Larry's phone started ringing loudly, and he answered his mother's call.

"The movie's just finished... We're going for ice cream... Oh, you are?" Larry answered, craning his head to look over Lisa's shoulder. "Oh, yeah... Uh, okay... Yes, I'll be right there," he said, hanging up and turning to the others. "My mum's here to pick me up, so I'll have to skip the ice cream."

Craig gave Larry a sympathetic slap on the back. "Maybe next time, yeah?"

"Yeah, maybe. See ya!" Larry called, hurrying off at a fast-paced walk to his mother's car.

"She could've got an ice cream and waited," Donny muttered. "What? You were all thinking it!"

"I wasn't! I was thinking about the ice cream I'm going to have," Lisa admitted a little guiltily.

Heidi just raised her hand as if to admit she'd thought it, and then went inside the ice cream store without an ounce of remorse. Zach held the door open for them all, and they trekked in, Lisa talking excitedly about the new flavours she wanted to try.

Layla smiled up at Warren and pressed a kiss to his cheek. After this, they would take everyone to the Hive, and things could really get started.

...

End of the thirty-fifth chapter.


	36. Chapter 36

"Are you taking us out to the middle of nowhere to kill us, Layla?" Craig asked, frowning when civilisation faded to paddocks and empty fields.

"With so much video evidence of us all leaving together? I don't think so," Layla said, grinning.

"That sort of stuff can be changed, y'know," Wendy pointed out.

"Do any of you actually know how to change it?" Warren retorted.

Adam raised his hand, looking a little sheepish. "I do. Summer can get very boring when you have acid spit and might burn someone's larynx just by kissing them, okay?"

There was a moment of silence, all of them thinking about Adam's admittance.

"Just how do you kiss someone to burn their larynx?" Zach asked, sounding confused.

"French kissing doesn't produce  _that_  much saliva," Ethan added.

"You never burnt my larynx," Lisa said, her tone more curious than anything.

"I didn't have complete control over it when I was younger," Adam replied, shrugging. "Sometimes acid would just ... build up. It wasn't pretty. I melted at least a dozen toothbrushes in a couple of weeks."

"Do you have any cutlery left at home?" Craig asked, grinning.

"You've been to my house, dude," Adam muttered, rolling his eyes.

"All right, everyone. Don't think about elephants," Donny said, his voice loud enough to get over all of their noise. He gave an audible sigh of relief when everyone thought about elephants and their mental noise settled down.

"Must be a tiring power to have," Layla commented, trying to continue thinking of elephants for Donny's benefit.

He gave a shrug, eyes closed.

"I thought you could control it and block everyone out?" Ethan asked curiously.

"Close proximity doesn't help, and when everyone's thinking so fucking loud, it really doesn't help. It's like screaming in one of those echoing rooms; it'll just reverberate and continue until your ears bleed."

"I don't think that's what happens in echoing rooms," Ethan said dubiously.

Donny opened one eye long enough to glare at him. Ethan decided to be quiet, but Zach glared at Donny and started thinking louder instead.

"We're here," Warren announced, pressing the button for the bus.

The bus slowed to a stop at the top of the hill, and they all filed out, following after Layla and Warren.

"Anyone going to tell us where it is we're actually meant to be going? If we're going to be killed out here, I want my final interaction with the outside world to tell them who my murderers were," Wendy muttered.

"Do you honestly think we'd bring you out here to kill you?" Layla asked, sounding innocent and offended all at once.

"Yeah, it's way too difficult to kill everyone all at once. We'd have to divide and conquer," Warren added.

"You sound like you've put a lot of thought into this," Craig said.

"Oh, not nearly enough," Layla said lightly.

"It'd be too difficult to do it all at once - no one would believe we all ran away at once, y'know," Adam pointed out.

"Joined a cult; were all kidnapped together; formed a suicide pact; building was set on fire," Ethan listed off, brow furrowing as he tried to think of more.

"Okay, now we're all definitely thinking about this too much; you're probably traumatising Heidi," Lisa said, shaking her head.

Heidi scrunched her nose up at that and signed something at Zach quickly, making him laugh in return.

"Heidi said that being dropped into vats of acid would be better: leaves less evidence behind."

"That's true, but where would we find vats of acid nearby?" Craig asked, grinning.

"And acid doesn't hurt me," Adam pointed out.

"Any kind of acid, or just the acid you spit?" Ethan asked curiously.

The others kept the conversation going, not really paying attention as they continued to follow Layla and Warren, but as they came upon the small forest that was growing, they all slowed to a stop.

"I swear drove past this place three months ago; those trees were  _not_  there," Wendy said, eyes wide.

"We planted the trees a couple of months ago, and I encouraged them to grow faster," Layla explained, smiling.

"So... You've brought us out to a forest to kill us and bury our bodies to add extra nutrients to the soil?" Craig asked.

"That's not funny, Craig."

"It is a little," Adam argued with his girlfriend, wincing when Lisa glared at him.

"Come on, you haven't seen the best part yet," Warren said with a smirk, leading them up to the small forest and into the trees.

Zach might've held onto Ethan's hand a little tighter as they walked between the trees, the long branches reaching down towards them.

"Your trees are still a little creepy, Lay," Zach muttered.

"Good, that should stop people from trespassing. I told you, they're just curious," she replied offhandedly over her shoulder.

"Wait, what?" Adam asked, jumping back when one of the tree branches swiped at his hair.

"What are you doing, Donny?" Wendy asked, the hair on her arms raising when she saw that Donny seemed to be lost in a trance, walking between the trees and touching the trunks lightly with an awed expression on his face.

Heidi stepped through the last of the trees, looking to the Hive with a big grin on her face. She loved the forest that Layla and Warren had made, and thought that the teenagers were being weirdos. The trees were nothing to be scared of, not with a world of adults out there.

Slowly, the others all filtered out of the trees, looking a little dazed and scared, but their expressions changed to one of awe when they saw the Hive.

"This place  _definitely_  wasn't here," Wendy muttered, walking towards the ramp that led up to the porch.

"My mother left the building plans and council permission in her will. I was allowed to access enough of my inheritance to get it built straight away," Layla lied, knowing that Donny wouldn't dare try to read her mind when her mother was involved.

Craig seemed a little suspicious, remembering the lottery ticket he'd helped her buy earlier in the year, but didn't bring it up.

"This place is actually kind of beautiful," Lisa murmured, touching the hive emblem by the door.

"Wait 'til you see inside," Zach called, grinning.

Layla walked up to unlock the door, holding it open for the others to go inside. "Feel free to look around. There's not a whole lot in here yet; there's only so much Warren and I can transport by bus."

Heidi rushed in, and the others weren't too far behind. Zach and Ethan hung back, the four of them watching as the others explored the Hive.

"You know I'm still working on getting my license, hippie," Warren muttered.

"Yes, I do, but you've been talking about motorbikes, and it's still going to be difficult to bring anything here on one of those," Layla said, grinning.

"My mum would probably bring things if you asked," Ethan pointed out.

"Your mother's driving is terrifying, Ethan. We might not survive the trip with any furniture intact," Warren muttered.

"Why don't you just grow it?" Zach asked, curious.

Layla frowned, thinking for a moment. "I never considered it. I'll try."

She headed inside, the three boys following her into the lounge room to watch. Layla tilted her head slightly to consider the type of plant she could use, one that would be strong enough to hold someone's weight without breaking.  _A tree would probably be better_ , she thought,  ** _if_** _I can keep it to the required height_.

Layla coerced a tree to start growing out of the floorboards, the trunk forming slowly into a chair-like shape, her hands splayed in front of her. The tree started to grow too quickly though, and Layla forced it to stop before it hit the ceiling, frustrated that it hadn't worked the way she wanted. There was a blaze of heat beside her and Warren threw a fireball at the half-formed tree chair, the flame burning away the extra wood. She looked at him, pleased that he'd thought of a solution, and smiled at the look of concentration on his face. Even as she turned back to their chair, Layla could see that the fire was going out. The chair itself was wide enough to seat two people comfortably, and once Warren's flames were put out, the back of the chair was at a much more manageable height.

" _Holy shit_. That was  _amazing_! Guys, look at this!" Craig called, laughing in delight as he moved in closer to look at the chair, circling around to see it properly.

Ethan and Zach did the same, and the others, brought in at Craig's call, looked as well. Donny reached out to the chair, that same expression he'd had earlier on his face, and Wendy still didn't know if she was more intrigued or frightened. Heidi had followed Lisa and Adam back, and she grinned on seeing the chair, tugging on Zach's shirt. She signed to him, her hands moving as fast as her thoughts, and Zach looked to Layla and Warren.

"Can Heidi have her own chair too?"

Layla nodded and Heidi clapped excitedly, then tugged on Layla's hand so she would follow her to the library. Heidi pointed to a spot just by the window, close to both the bookcases and with a view of the forest, and Layla was almost jealous that she hadn't chosen that one for herself. It was mostly hidden from view, but would still be a perfect vantage point to see anyone coming up to the Hive.

"You picked a very good spot, Heidi," Layla said, smiling.

Heidi grinned so brightly that the bulb overhead lit up. Ethan frowned slightly at that, seeing that the light switch wasn't on.

"Zach, I don't think Heidi can control lights," Ethan murmured quietly, watching as Layla and Warren started to create another tree chair.

Zach frowned at him, then looked from his sister to the bright light globe in the ceiling. "Uh, the evidence is kinda right there in your face, Eth."

"If she could only control lights, then she would have to wait for some kind of power source to be fed to the lights first. You know the diagrams they make us draw in primary school, with the stop switch and electric current flow? Well, without that flow, the light shouldn't work."

"That's the point of Heidi's power, though, to change the flow."

"If that was the case, then if we flipped the switch on right now, it would effectively be turning the light off, right?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Zach said, still a little confused.

Heidi clapped again, excited when her chair was completed, charred though it was from Warren's fireball being left a fraction too long. Heidi didn't look as though she cared, and promptly ran over to sit in it, waving at her brother with another broad grin.

"Good. Tell Heidi to leave the light on, and we'll try. I could be wrong," Ethan added with a shrug.

"I don't really know what you're going on about, but okay," Zach said, signing to Heidi.

She didn't seem to know what Zach meant either, but nodded, and the light bulb grew that little bit brighter. Ethan turned off the light switch, and by then, they were all looking up at the light, though the brightness was hurting their eyes. Ethan flipped the switch on and off several times, but the light stayed on.

"I still don't get it, Eth," Zach said, looking between Ethan and Heidi, the former looking pleased and the latter just looking confused.

"Heidi doesn't control lights, she controls  _electricity_."

Ethan's words seemed to clear up any of Heidi's confusion, and she looked up at the light once more, dimming it slowly until it turned off completely. Then, before anyone could do or say anything, she scrambled off her chair and ran out of the library. Zach ran after her, Ethan behind him. Realising that Heidi was heading to the kitchen, Warren was barely a second after them, and Layla followed.

"What's going on?" Craig called, Adam sticking his head out of the lounge room to look at them.

"Come on, I want to see for myself," Wendy said, taking Donny's hand and leading him out of the lounge room.

The other three looked to each other, then ran after them as fast as they possibly could.

Heidi was laughing her low-decibel laugh, looking utterly excited as she turned various appliances on and off at just a whim.

"It'll be interesting to see what she does when she's older; all people have an electrical current running through them, after all," Ethan said.

His voice was loud enough to be picked up by her hearing aid, and Heidi stopped watching the fridge light turn on and off, turning to face them curiously. She signed to Zach, her head tilted to the side, and all of the appliances stopped turning on and off, much to Warren's relief. Zach licked his lips nervously, but nodded and stepped to the side, away from the others.

"Zach, what's going on?" Ethan asked.

Heidi didn't give him a chance to reply, and there was a single heartbeat before Zach was on the ground  _screaming_. Heidi stopped quickly, her face pale, and she stared at her brother who was kneeling, clutching his head like he was trying to hold it together. She rushed over to him, shaking his shoulder when he didn't look up. He looked up at her, tears streaming down his cheeks, and she signed to ask if he was all right. Zach's hands were trembling as he answered no, shaking his head at the same time. Around them, the others were all quiet, Layla already thinking about what Heidi would be able to do when she was older and had more control, and beside her, Warren was thinking along similar threads. Finally, Ethan stepped forward hesitantly.

"Zach, what happened?"

"Think she got the electrical pain signal going. Felt like my brain was being fried. We'll have to try a different electrical impulse next time, okay, Heids?" Zach said, his grin forced and weaker than normal.

"Next time? You're going to let her do that to you  _again?_ " Lisa asked in surprise.

"Well, it's not like she can practise on random citizens, now can she?" Zach replied, voice sharp and sarcastic, but he held onto Ethan's offered arm as he stood up slowly.

"You might want to watch what you say about Heidi there, Lisa. Zach's not the only one defensive about her," Donny commented, his voice light, but he was watching Layla, Warren, and Ethan carefully.

Layla figured that he'd already heard her thoughts about what Heidi would be able to do when she was older and had more control, and didn't bother censoring her thoughts like she usually would. Donny just smirked and didn't seem at all surprised.

"Right. Now that that's terrified me of all people younger than me forever more  _again_ , can I get my own chair too?" Craig asked, turning to Layla and grinning broadly.

"What do you mean again?" Adam asked, frowning.

" _Children of the Corn_ , dude. Couldn't look at my twin nephews for a whole month afterwards," Craig admitted, clapping him on the shoulder, then headed back to the lounge room to decide where he wanted his chair.

The others followed a few at a time, Zach tugging Heidi close for a firm hug. He smiled at her as he pulled away, more genuine and not as weak this time.

"You did good. You're going to be awesome when you've got control, I know it," he said.

Heidi still looked a little shaken up, but gave a nod, and hugged him again.

"Heh, she won't grow up to be a heart breaker, she'll be a  _heart stopper_ ," Ethan said, looking proud of his joke.

"My sister discovering her real powers  **and**  my boyfriend making a joke, all in the same hour? It must be a Christmas miracle," Zach said.

"We're nowhere near Christmas, Zach."

"That doesn't mean Santa's not providing miracles."

Ethan just rolled his eyes and left to where Craig was lounging in his chair.

...

Two hours later, everyone had their own chair throughout several rooms of the house, and Layla had even created an outdoor setting complete with a huge round table and several chairs. Warren had stopped her after that, seeing how pale she had become. To be honest, he wasn't feeling too crash hot either after using so many fireballs to control the trees' growth, and they were all glad to go inside and sit on their chairs to relax once more.

Warren sat on the first chair that had been created, pulling Layla down onto his lap and looking across to the others. Ethan and Zach's chairs were curled up next to each other, the branches weaving together so it almost looked to be one tree rather than two, and they were in the only spot that had Heidi's chair in sight. Craig had a chair right by the window, closer to a window seat than an actual chair; Adam had a chair in the library that he had used his acid spit on while it was being constructed, the tree actually becoming resistant to the acid rather than being corroded by it with the help of Warren's flames (it was a surprise to all of them, Adam included, and Ethan wanted to study it and find out more, but he was content to sit with Zach for the moment); Wendy and Donny had chosen to seat themselves opposite Ethan and Zach, and as soon as Donny had sat in his chair, it was as though he'd gone into a trance again (Wendy decided to ask him about it  _later_ ); Lisa had requested a stool to sit on in the kitchen instead, choosing to look out to the garden that Layla had planted there.

They all relaxed for a while, together even though they weren't in the same rooms, and Layla recuperated along with Warren, resting her head on his shoulder. This would do very nicely. For now, at least.

...

They all had to return to their homes sooner or later, and eventually their hunger drove them back out to the bus stop. Layla could have offered fruit or vegetables, but she was still feeling depleted after creating so much furniture for the Hive that she couldn't even bring herself to suggest it.

The bus trip back was a quiet one, but they all looked to each other every now and then, as if to determine that what they'd seen had been real, and that they would go back to the Hive again. The bus stopped at the shopping centre, all of them filing out, thanking the driver after Layla and Warren exited first. Craig made himself into a likeness of the Commander and called out 'thank you' in Jetstream's voice, laughing to himself as the bus driver stared at him when he passed as his normal self.

"You're going to get caught one day, Craig," Lisa reprimanded, shaking her head at him.

"How? What're they going to say? That  _I'm_  the Commander?" Craig asked, laughing again.

"They might if the bus camera proved it," Warren pointed out.

"Had my back to it, and my hat was on."

"What about the camera behind the mirror?" Ethan asked.

"There's a camera behind the mirror?" Craig asked, sounding a little uncertain now.

"There was in  _Speed_ ," Zach said.

"Movies don't count."

"There was a camera behind the mirror. It's a new security feature the Mayor organised since the buses travel out to Westville and the crime rate there is triple Maxville's rate," Layla said distractedly, looking at the next bus timetable to get her to Great Aunt's.

"Shit."

"I'm sure he'll just think it was kids being kids," Donny said, patting Craig on the shoulder.

"Why're you being nice to me?" Craig asked suspiciously.

"'Cause it keeps you all on your toes," he replied with a smirk. "My parents are here; see you at school," Donny said over his shoulder.

"He promised me a ride home," Wendy muttered, hurrying after him.

"We'd better get back before mum does," Zach said, Heidi pouting beside him.

"Mum'll give you a lift if you want?" Ethan offered, waving over to his mother.

"I'll start praying," Zach muttered, but he and Heidi went with Ethan anyway, calling goodbye to the others as they left.

"See you tomorrow," Lisa called, leaving when she saw her parents arrive.

"My bus is almost here. Are you getting picked up too, Adam?"

"Yeah, later. My folks work weekends," he admitted, shrugging. "Tuition's expensive."

"Come over to mine, if you like," Warren offered.

His offer was sudden enough that Layla looked to him, but Warren just grinned in response.

"I don't know, man. You got cable?" Adam asked.

"On a single parent's income, are you kidding me? I download TV shows and movies, just like the rest of the poor folks."

Adam seemed to consider his options for a moment longer, then nodded. "Yeah, all right."

"You'll be okay to get home on your own, hippie?" Warren asked, seeing her bus arriving and his own on the heels of it.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry, I'll text you when I'm home safe," Layla said, smiling and kissing him. "You do the same, okay?"

She wanted to know just what on earth he was planning with Adam, and Warren seemed to know that, because he gave her a wink and then nodded as he pulled away.

"See you tomorrow, Layla," Adam called, following after Warren to their bus.

She boarded hers before the doors could close, and closed her eyes as the bus pulled away from the kerb. Layla could feel her vines under her skin and smiled.

In the Hive, Warren and Layla's chair let out a old creaking noise, the wood under the burnt charcoal still growing. Several green shoots burst free of their charcoal confines, and in the quiet of the house, the shoots burst into bloom with red, black, and green flowers. The other chairs, stool, and outdoor setting all followed suit, several flowers blooming on each, and their scent weaving throughout the rooms until the sweet scent filled the Hive completely.

...

End of the thirty-sixth chapter.


	37. Chapter 37

"So, not that I'm not  _awed_  to be invited to the great Warren Peace's home, but why'd you invite me? I could've just hung out by myself," Adam said, shrugging.

"I know what it's like to be left on your own, and I know it sucks sometimes. So, yeah, you could've hung out by yourself, but this is better," Warren replied as he headed up the driveway and opened the front door.

"How? You don't have cable," Adam pointed out, though he was grinning.

"Neither do you."

"Not the point," Adam said with a laugh.

"Warren, I need you to hang out the laundry... I didn't realise you were bringing a friend home," Nina said, surprised to see someone who wasn't Layla, Ethan, or Zach.

"This is Adam from school. Adam, this is my mum."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Adam said pleasantly.

"You too, Adam. How did you two meet?"

"Layla," Warren said, as if that answer alone explained everything. (It kind of did, though.)

"Ah, of course. I'm glad she's helping you expand your social circle, Warren. A circle with four people is just a square, anyway."

"Okay, I'll go hang up the laundry, geez!" Warren groaned, sparing Adam a pitying look before he left for the laundry.

"Um... what just happened?"

"Later," Nina waved off his question. "Now, why don't you start off by telling me what power you have?" she asked with an easy smile.

Adam felt an itching compulsion to answer, and he answered before he fully processed the itching sensation at all. "Acid spit, ma'am."

Warren hung up the laundry as fast as possible, but ten minutes had passed by the time he made it back inside, and he found his mother still interrogating Adam. Adam looked somewhat dazed from his mother's power and Warren stepped between his mother and Adam. Nina looked up at him in surprise.

"Have you finished interrogating my friend yet?"

"I wasn't interrogating him, we were simply having a conversation," Nina replied.

"No one looks like  _that_  when you ' _simply have a conversation_ ' with them," Warren said. "I'll be lucky if he ever comes back here willingly."

"Oh, I certainly hope he does. Adam's a lovely young man," Nina said, smiling over at him.

"Th-thank you, ma'am," Adam stammered.

"Mum, seriously, back off. You'll have to take him to the hospital in a minute," Warren muttered.

Nina raised her hands. "All right, I'll leave you two boys to it then. Have fun," she said, leaving a moment later.

"Sorry, Adam. Are you okay?"

"I feel like your mother literally peeled my brain apart just by  _talking to me_ ; what the hell do you think?" Adam spat.

"Fuck. C'mon, let's go out the back," Warren muttered, heading over to the sliding door that led outside.

Adam followed reluctantly, contemplating whether he should just leave and never come back. He stepped outside, his eyes widening when he saw that Warren's hands were lit up with fireballs.

"What the hell are you doing? You'll be seen," Adam hissed, looking to each side of the yard. His fears dissipated almost instantly, seeing how tall the fences were. "How'd you get permission to get the fences that high?"

"You just met my mother, didn't you?" Warren asked, smirking.

Adam gave a brief nod of understanding. "She's fucking terrifying."

"Yeah, I know. Don't tell her that though," he added.

"Nah, man. Wouldn't tell my mum that either," Adam said with a slight laugh.

Warren grinned back at him and held up a fireball in his hand. "Want to practice or not?"

Adam grinned. "Ready when you are."

...

They stopped practising when Warren received a text from Layla to say she was home, almost an hour later, her message lamenting at the length of the journey with the bus' weekend services.

Adam laughed at how fast Warren replied. "Man, you're whipped."

"The fuck?" Warren growled.

" _Oh, I have to text my girlfriend every minute we're apart!_ " Adam said mockingly in a falsetto.

"It's a safety precaution, idiot. We're both kids of super-powered parents, her Great Aunt hates both of us, and I haven't texted Layla every minute we're apart, otherwise we wouldn't have discovered how to set your spit on fire."

Adam frowned, thinking about it for a moment. "All right, I get it. Why's Layla still living with her Great Aunt if she hates her that much?"

"She doesn't have any other family to stay with, I don't have room to let her stay here, and if she tried to stay at the Hive, her Great Aunt would probably call the police. You know what happens to super-powered kids that go into the system."

Adam winced. "Yeah. I heard Indigo was used in secret super experiments."

"I heard she was recruited by the government," Warren said with a brief frown.

"Maybe it's both? Recruited and then experimented on, I reckon."

"No way; tested on first to increase powers, then recruited."

"Nah, you're wrong. It's gotta be recruited then tested; they wouldn't risk someone with powers like Indigo's to be experimented on, only for it to go wrong. They'd use her first, then experiment when they'd finished with her."

"All right, I see the logic in that. But..." Warren added, before Adam could revel in his victory, "I haven't seen any reports of people losing their vision en mass. Therefore, it's doubtful that Indigo's out and about doing errands for the government."

"You think the government would let anyone talk about that sort of thing? It'd be hushed up so fast, you'd blink and it'd be over!"

"Uh huh. And why would the government want to blind a whole bunch of people?"

"As an example and scare tactic to make others comply.  _Do this, or we'll blind your people like we did to people in that country!_ "

"You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?" Warren asked, grinning.

Adam shrugged. "Ain't got a whole lot else to do."

Warren tried not to grin too broadly. "So where do you think they'd keep someone like Indigo?"

"Well, she's still in the system and considered an orphan for all intents and purposes, y'know. I reckon there's a government-run orphanage out there, just for super kids. It'd have to be out of the way in case of any mistakes, and so no busybody neighbours start lookin' out their windows wondering why these cars and vans are taking kids away all the time without them gettin' adopted."

"Well, they could just pass it off as a place for troubled kids, so no one ever wants them for long."

"Not bad. Would be easier to explain things," Adam mused, falling silent as he got caught up in his own thoughts.

Warren went to say something, but the back door opened, and his mum looked out with a smile.

"Your mother's here, Adam. I'm happy to talk with her if you two need more time?" Nina offered.

Adam winced at the thought of his mother undergoing the same treatment from Ms. Peace that he had.

"I promise not to interrogate her," Nina added. "I apologise for doing that to you, by the way, Adam. I was simply suspicious and surprised that Warren had brought a new friend home, and I know I didn't handle it very well."

Adam sighed reluctantly. "It's all right, Ms. Peace. I'd appreciate it if you didn't do the same to my mother; she's not a super and she wouldn't understand."

"Of course. You two come inside when you're ready."

Warren waited until the door had closed again before he turned to Adam. "You're really all right with it?"

Adam shrugged. "I'll survive. Not the first time someone's used their power on me."

"Do you want to talk about it or you want to practise some more?" Warren asked.

Adam responded by smiling with a mouthful of acidic spit.

...

Layla tried to stay composed when her phone started ringing later that night.

"Hey Warren."

"Hey."

There was a long moment of silence as they both waited for the other to talk.

"Okay, I can't wait any more. What happened with Adam?" Layla asked.

"Mum traumatised him, so, you know, the usual."

"What?"

"She used her power on him within a minute of meeting him. He didn't take it too badly, really."

"He's really all right?"

"Yeah, he's fine now. We used our powers for a while, then his mum came to pick him up."

"And?"

"We both decided that our mothers are terrifying, and even more so when together."

Layla frowned. "You've completely lost me."

"They decided to organise a huge barbecue for us and all of our friends, so all of the parents and guardians can meet properly. Apparently, if it was left up to us, they'd only meet at graduation."

"That's not the worst thing in the world," Layla muttered, thinking of her Great Aunt.

"They've already invited Mrs. Damsale, and talked Zach into getting his parents to turn up as well. I think the only reason Mum didn't call you is because she wants to invite Greta personally."

"That's probably not the best idea, Warren. I'm not even sure if the vines in Zach's father will handle mass socialising like this."

"It's a barbecue, so I doubt anyone's going to expect him to be Mr. Social and start the conga, hippie. Everyone will just think he's cold or aloof, and probably bitch about him after he's left."

"All right. Get your mum to call me tomorrow; she can ask Greta then."

"Are we going to invite everyone that we saw today, or just permanents?"

"We'd better invite everyone; it'd make it easier to seem normal with a mix of permanent and plain."

There was a noise in the background, and Warren groaned. "I swear, the way Mum's talking about it, she's going to invite all of Sky High."

"Fuck, I hope not. We'd have to deal with Will and Magenta then."

Warren snorted. "It'd be a good excuse to ' _accidentally_ ' burn him with the barbecue."

Layla laughed, sounding delighted. "Do you think anyone would notice if barbecued guinea pig was served?"

"Depends what sauce it was covered in," Warren said, chuckling. "Oh, and don't worry, Mum's getting veggie burgers and tofu dogs for you and anyone else that wants them."

"When's it being planned for? Must be soon if they're already talking buying everything."

"End of the month. That gives everyone enough time to get a day off from work, even me," Warren said sarcastically, quoting his mother's words from earlier.

"Think of all of the socialising you can do. Maybe you could start a conga line instead of Mr. Brighton," Layla said with another laugh.

"Not funny, hippie."

"It was a little funny," she replied, barely holding her grin back. "I'd better get to bed now. See you in the morning."

"Yeah, see you, hippie."

Layla had barely hung up the call before there was a knock at her door.

"Frieda's invited herself and Honey over for dinner tomorrow. Come home straight after work," Greta said, leaving again before Layla could reply.

"Thank you for telling me!" Layla called anyway, just to spite her.

...

Apparently, Nina had meant 'personally' by 'she wanted to ask Greta actually in person'. So when Layla finished her shift at 8pm and found both Warren and Nina waiting outside, talking together by Nina's car, she was understandably surprised.

"I thought it would be better to ask your Great Aunt in person, rather than over the phone. It can be so impersonal, and I'm sure she's appreciate knowing me in person before showing up blindly on the day. Besides, your Great Aunt's probably curious to know more about your boyfriend's wonderful mother," Nina said, grinning.

"Uh. Sure," Layla said hesitantly.

"You'll have to sit in the front and tell me how to get to your place.  _Someone_  melted the GPS again."

"That wasn't my fault! The damn thing was trying to make us drive head-on into a ditch!" Warren muttered.

"That's no reason to melt a very expensive piece of technology," Nina replied coolly.

"Right. Next time I'll let the GPS kill us," he muttered, barely under his breath.

"My Great Aunt has a friend and her daughter over for dinner, so I'm meant to go home as soon as possible," Layla interjected, hoping to stop the impending (or continuing) argument.

"Ms. Bettendorf's going to be there?" Warren asked, wincing.

"She's the one that calls you cutie?" Nina asked, sounding absolutely delighted. "Well, then it's settled; I definitely have to meet them. In the car, both of you."

"Oh, god," Warren groaned, but slid into the backseat nonetheless.

Layla sat in the front, as Nina had requested, and dutifully helped her navigate towards the border of Westville where her Great Aunt lived.

This was going to be  _interesting_.

Layla didn't protest when Warren grabbed her bag before she could even get it on her shoulder, nor when he took her hand, his palm warm and firm in hers. A feeling of calm rushed from the flames on her wrist, and it was only then that Layla realised just how nervous she was.

Nina walked a few steps behind, trying not to crowd them. Layla fished her keys from the front pocket of her schoolbag, opening the door and subtly using a vine to undo the latch. Warren muttered low under his breath at that, but Layla gave a minute shake of her head, and simply walked inside with him and Nina following.

"Greta, I'm home," Layla called.

"Good, hurry up. Frieda and Honey have been talking my ear off all evening and - " Greta muttered, coming out of the kitchen and into the hallway, stopping short when she saw the other guests. "What's he doing here? And who's that? I thought I told you to come home  _straight_  after work, not pick people up on the side of the road and bring them into  _my house_ uninvited!" Greta snapped, glowering at Warren and Nina.

Frieda and Honey were standing in the kitchen doorway, Frieda frowning at her friend, and Honey looking as though she was fighting back a smile. Layla looked down at the carpet, cheeks red at her relative's words. Behind her, she could practically  _feel_  Nina going tense and angry at the treatment and unnecessary words.

"Greta, this is Warren's mother, Nina. Nina, this is my Great Aunt, Greta. Excuse me, I'm going to put my things away," Layla said, tugging Warren along with her, since he still had her bag. "Hi Frieda, hi Honey."

Frieda squeezed her shoulder gently, smiling at Warren, and moved past to go to where Greta and Nina were still standing.

"Hey, sweetie. Thanks for starting things off," Honey said quietly, winking at her.

"Starting what off?" Warren asked, confused.

"Tonight's entertainment," Honey said, nodding to where her mother was now standing between Greta and Nina. "Hurry back," she added, pushing them gently towards the stairs.

Layla and Warren practically flew upstairs, Warren dumping Layla's bag by the door, and Layla almost falling over herself to get her shoes off and change into a more comfortable shirt at the same time.

"Slow down, hippie, you'll brain yourself on your desk if you're not careful," Warren muttered, taking her arms and helping her slide her shirt off.

They both stilled, hearing heated words being exchanged between Greta and Nina.

" _\- doesn't deserve that kind of treatment!_ "

" _\- have no right to talk about my family!_ "

"Think Honey's got popcorn waiting?" Layla asked, her laugh muffled by her casual shirt.

"Probably not, since you're meant to be having dinner with them," Warren said practically, his hands stroking up and down her arms as she finished dressing.

Layla went up onto her toes to kiss him firmly, pulling away before their kiss could get too heated. "Come on, I want to see what happens."

Warren nodded and led her to the bedroom door, heading back towards the stairs. Layla tugged on his hand before they reached the bottom, and they sat on the stairs listening as Nina and Greta argued. Honey was sitting on the bottom step, and when they sat down, she turned and grinned up at them, throwing them a wrapped chocolate bar each.

"We'll be here for a while when Mum gets into it."

"Why would Frieda get into this argument?" Layla asked, voice quiet as she listened.

Honey grinned and held up three fingers -

" _She's a child, and doesn't deserve to be treated like that! She's just lost her mother!_ "

\- two -

" _I don't give a rat's ass about her mother!_ "

\- one.

"Greta! What's wrong with you?! She was your niece!"

"Oh,  _shut up_ , Frieda. I hadn't spoken to either of them since Layla was born!"

Layla looked at the ingredient list on the chocolate bar, deemed it acceptable, and ate it slowly as they all watched the argument continue.

About half an hour later, there was a loud and firm knock on the front door, and the three arguing women stopped abruptly. Greta glowered over at Layla as she headed to the front door.

"If this is another  _friend_  of yours, I'll -  _oh_. Good evening, officer."

The policeman nodded at her briefly, his expression somber. "We've had reports of a noise disturbance coming from this residence."

"Never mind, sir. We're leaving. Warren, let's go. Layla, you're welcome to stay with me until you feel comfortable returning to this poisonous environment," Nina snapped, glaring at Greta.

Honey stood up abruptly, stretching. "Can we head off now, Mum? I'm hungry, and I've got an early start in the morning. Warren, why don't you help Layla pack a bag?"

The police officer seemed concerned and somewhat confused at what was transpiring. Frieda smiled and patted the man's arm.

"Everything's under control, officer. You have a nice night, now. Take care, make sure you get home to your wife and baby girl," she said, guiding him back towards his car.

"Uh, but the noise - "

"Will stop now that we're all leaving," Frieda promised.

By the time Layla and Warren made it back downstairs with a bag full of clothes, her pillow, and school bag, Frieda, Honey, and Nina were all waiting outside. Greta was in the lounge room, pouring herself a large tumbler of whiskey.

"The locks will be changed in the morning," Greta called as Layla and Warren walked out.

"That won't be a problem," Warren muttered under his breath, his hands mere seconds away from heating up.

"Good news," Honey said, grinning at them. "Mum's invited you all over to her house for dinner, since we're not eating here."

"Guess it's better than takeout. What'd you bring for dinner anyway?" Warren asked.

"You'll see," Honey promised, grinning.

Honey headed over to Frieda's car, and Warren and Layla went to Nina's car, both of them quiet as they sat in the backseat. Nina looked as though she wanted to say something, but closed her mouth each time, her jaw clenched tightly. When she pulled into Frieda's driveway, Nina turned off the ignition and turned around in her seat to look at Layla.

"I am sorry to have put you through that, Layla. I had no idea your Great Aunt was so cruel. If I'd known..."

"It's all right, Nina. It's not anything you could have stopped or prevented, even if you'd made me leave within the first week. She's... Greta is a very greedy person, and she doesn't like the fact that I've come in to her life and am using her wealth to live and eat under her roof."

Nina's jaw clenched again.

"We'd better get inside before Honey or Frieda come to get us out of the car by force," Warren said, getting out of the car and taking a moment to breathe.

The door across from him opened and Layla stood, raising her eyebrows at him with a slight grin. "You're really hungry, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Hurry, or I'll eat it all myself," Warren said, heading towards the house quickly.

Layla waited until Nina was out of the car, hugging the older woman. "Thank you, Nina."

"What for?" she asked in surprise.

"For getting me out of Greta's house, even for a night," she replied. At Nina's confused look, Layla continued, "I'll have to go back eventually. She  _is_  my guardian, and until I turn 18, according to the government, I have to live with her. It's either Greta or being put into the system."

Nina's expression soured. "I'm not sure which one's worse, honestly."

"Neither am I," Layla said with a wry grin.

"Ready to eat, ladies?" Honey called from the front door, waving them over.

Nina headed to the house with Layla, wishing that there was more she could do for Layla, and not just because she was her son's girlfriend. They both stopped short in the foyer, staring at the splendour around them. Despite it being dark outside, the house was light and cheerful, the chandelier overhead bathing everything in a golden light.

"Frieda has a chandelier in every room of her house," Warren said. "And she has a jacuzzi  _and_  a pool."

"Think she'll adopt me?" Layla asked with a laugh, letting Warren lead her through the foyer towards the informal dining room where their dinner was being set up.

Honey glanced at Nina, smiling when she saw that Layla's words were sinking in, and with a soft hum, she followed after Warren and Layla.

"Vegetable curry and rice. Honey said it would be easier to reheat, and as always, she's right," Frieda said, smiling over at her daughter. "Where's your mother, dear? She hasn't gotten lost, has she?" she asked, her smile falling when she saw that Nina wasn't with them.

Warren frowned, looking to the doorway. "I thought she was right behind us. Did you see her, Honey?"

"I think she's still in the foyer. I can go, if you'd like?" Honey offered.

Frieda waved at her to stay seated. "I'm sure I'll be able to find her. You can serve dinner for everyone, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not. A minute, or a minute and a half?" Honey murmured, looking from the two pots to the five bowls sitting out. "Hmm, a minute and a half for the first two, a minute for the last three," she decided, starting to serve out the rice and vegetable curry into the bowls.

"What are you doing, Honey?" Layla asked quietly.

"Serving dinner," she replied over her shoulder, grinning a bit.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Yes, I know. Warren, can you put these two bowls in the microwave for a minute and a half each, please? Kitchen's through that door there," Honey said, nodding towards a door at the other end of the dining room.

Warren looked to Layla briefly, wanting to know what was going on himself, but he grabbed the two bowls and carried them into the kitchen instead. Layla barely refrained from tapping her foot on the ground in her impatience.

"Greta's never going to be a good guardian for you, Layla, and if you stay with her, your plans will never - " Honey stopped short, and continued to serve out the bowls of food.

"It's something to think about, at least," Nina murmured to Frieda as they made their way in to the dining room.

Frieda looked from Layla to Honey, then back again, and nodded.

"Finished, now what... about the other three bowls, Honey?" Warren asked, changing the topic abruptly when he saw his mother and Frieda in the room.

"Ready to go. A minute each," she said.

Warren placed the two bowls at Nina and Frieda's places, and took the other three after giving Layla a meaningful glance.

"I'll get drinks," Layla said, going after him.

"You don't know where the glasses are," Honey muttered, following both of them.

"What's going on?" Warren asked, looking between them with a frown.

Layla opened the fridge to find something to drink, and Honey opened a cupboard door to get glasses and a serving tray out.

"If everything works the way it's supposed to, Layla may never have to live with Greta again after ... March," Honey said, setting the glasses on the tray. "Lemonade will be fine, Layla."

"That's still two months away."

"Two months is better than two years," Honey replied firmly. "The bowls, Warren."

"Huh? Oh, right," Warren muttered, swapping the final bowl and setting the microwave for a minute.

Layla concentrated on pouring the lemonade without spilling it everywhere. "How will me living with your mother help our plans?" she asked. "I thought it'd be easier with Greta, with the vines and all."

"Not necessarily. She's still fighting against them every day, and that will eventually weaken you if you stay in such a close proximity to her. Well, that's the best case scenario, at least. The worst case is... not quite as forgiving."

"Layla being weakened by her own power is forgiving?" Warren asked, not really wanting an answer.

"Don't say a thing," Honey warned them, lifting the tray of drinks and heading back to the dining room.

Layla put the bottle of lemonade back in the fridge, and took the two bowls that Warren had already heated.

"You're not meant to use your power outside of school," she said, grinning at him.

"I just stuck them in the microwave," he teased, kissing her briefly, the loud beeping of the microwave pulling them apart.

Layla waited until Warren had his own bowl, the heat not affecting his hands, and they went back to the dining room together.

Two hours later, they had all finished eating, and Nina and Frieda were discussing the upcoming barbecue. They had started discussing it during dinner, and hadn't really stopped, even though they had moved from the dining room to the lounge room and the dishes had been done in the meantime. Layla, Warren, and Honey didn't exactly get a chance to contribute much to the conversation, but they watched with amusement as the two women discussed everything with far more excitement than was probably required. It wasn't until Honey coughed loudly and drew Nina and Frieda's attention that either woman realised that Layla and Warren were dozing on the lounge, their hands curled up together gently.

"They're so cute together," Frieda said, smiling.

"They are, but don't tell Warren I said that," Nina said with a brief laugh. "We'd better get going. It's past all of our bed times, and they've got school in the morning."

"I should probably head off too, Mum. I've got a meeting in the morning that I can't miss."

Frieda nodded, standing and stretching. "It's been a wonderful night, despite the awful start. I do hope to see you again, Nina."

"I'm sure you will. Definitely at the barbecue," Nina promised, smiling at her.

Warren and Layla were woken up and led out to Nina's car sleepily, both of them dozing off again when they were seated and buckled in.

"I refuse to carry either of you inside," Nina called.

Honey smothered a laugh, and hugged Nina goodbye, her mother copying the action a moment later. "Drive safe, Nina. Have a good week."

"Thanks, Honey. You too. It was lovely to meet you, Frieda."

"You too, dear. Say goodbye to the dears for me, would you?"

"I will. Good night," Nina called, waving as she headed to her car. She waved one more time before turning on the ignition and driving home.

She glanced in the rear-view mirror, and for a moment, Nina was positive that she saw flowers growing in Layla's hair, the leaves and stems curling into Warren's long hair as well. Then she blinked and looked again, and the flowers were gone. Shaking her head, Nina muttered to herself that it was late and she was obviously seeing things, and forced herself to concentrate on driving so she'd get them all home safely.

...

End of the thirty-seventh chapter.


	38. Chapter 38

"I'm just saying that Warren and an oxygen tank would be the ultimate weapon! It's light enough for him to carry like a backpack, and as soon as his flames connect with the pure oxygen, he'll have an even more destructive force than a flamethrower," Ethan said.

"What about teaming up with Wendy? She could create a gust of wind and once he's lit it up, she could move it exactly where it's needed," Zach pointed out, Wendy listening to their conversation curiously.

"That could work," Ethan agreed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "But I can't see Warren carrying Wendy around like a backpack," he added with a grin when Donny spluttered on his drink.

Wendy shook her head at them all. "You honestly think they'd let two Heroes team up? The only reason the Commander and Jetstream are together is because they're the public faces of the super world. If All-American Boy was still active - "

"You mean not forced into early retirement," Zach muttered.

Wendy nodded briefly in agreement and continued, "If he was still with the Commander, then Jetstream never would've been allowed to team up with the Commander. They'd never let two Heroes team up again if they could help it; citizens don't like being reminded that they're not as powerful as they think they are. Laws and rules can only get them so far, and it's only gotten them this far because we've chosen to follow those laws and rules."

Layla grinned. "How about next lunch time, we'll get a neon sign and arrow so  _everyone_  knows what you're planning?"

"I'm not planning anything," Wendy said quickly, looking around to make sure that she hadn't been overheard.

"No, you're not," Donny said, taking her hand in a reassuring gesture, knowing that the rest of the school hadn't heard a thing. "They are," he said confidently, looking across the table to Layla, Warren, Ethan, and Zach.

Wendy looked between them all, eyes wide. "You're... you're actually being serious, aren't you?"

"As serious as you were a minute ago," Warren replied, his fingers threading with Layla's.

The vines and flames whirled around their wrists painfully, and they both smiled at Wendy's scrutinising look.

"We'll need to talk about this more. Outside of school," Wendy added, standing when the bell ringing a moment later.

"Of course. Sit with us again on Thursday, we'll organise something then," Layla replied.

Wendy nodded and left with Donny. Zach looked at Layla, grinning broadly.

"We're really doing this, aren't we?" he asked excitedly.

"Did you ever doubt it, glow stick?" Warren replied, raising his eyebrow at him.

"Never. Just... a little surreal, y'know?"

"Calm down, or Mr. Boy will wonder why you're glowing during English for Hero Support," Ethan said, taking Zach's hand and leading him out of the cafeteria.

"I'll be sitting with the others tomorrow. Why don't you join us?" Layla asked Warren as they headed out of the cafeteria to their own classes.

"You sure they'll be okay with that? The last time I looked at Larry wrong, he almost fainted."

Layla laughed. "Well, if he does that again, at least it'll provide some entertainment during lunch."

Warren pressed a hot kiss to her mouth, pulling away and licking his lips. "See you at the bus later."

"See you later," Layla echoed, watching for a moment as he walked away. She licked her tingling lips and grinned.

...

Larry didn't faint, but he did go paler than normal when he saw Warren sitting at their usual table next to Layla. He looked to Craig and Adam, but neither one seemed worried at the son of a villain sitting at their table. They'd all gone to the movies together, but Larry still wasn't comfortable about being too friendly with Warren. If he sat at the same table as him now, that would have repercussions all throughout high school; even if they weren't on the Loser track, Ethan and Zach would have been socially condemned for spending so much time with a would-be villain. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Warren followed in his father's footsteps, after all, and saving the school  _once_  made no difference.

Larry hesitated at the edge of the table, looking to where his friends were already sitting across from Layla and Warren. "Uh, I'm going to sit over there today," he said quickly, heading off before anyone could stop him.

Of course, being high school meant that nearly every table was already filled by their own cliques and groups. He didn't really have anywhere else to sit, and Larry stood in the cafeteria, desperately searching for an empty spot. He ignored the table that Ethan, Zach, and Donny were sitting at, ignored the way Donny seemed to be staring right at him and reading his every thought, and almost sagged in relief when he saw an empty spot. Larry hurried over, trying not to run and lose his tray of food, and almost hesitated a split second when he realised that the table was empty for a reason: it belonged to Will Stronghold and Magenta Yolanda.

Well, they were both Heroes, and to be honest, he didn't see what the fuss about Will and Magenta even was. They were still together, despite everything that had been said about them, and though they were old news now that the crystal girl was dating the laser eyed guy, Larry felt better about sitting with  _them_  than  _Warren Peace_.

"Hi guys, mind if I sit with you?" Larry asked, already starting to lower his tray to the table.

Will and Magenta both looked surprised, but nodded. Larry set his tray down properly, sat next to Will, and chose his side.

"Huh. I can't say I'm surprised," Craig muttered, shaking his head.

"I am. What the hell just happened?" Adam asked, looking to the other three.

"Larry doesn't want to fraternise with the son of Baron Battle," Warren replied, shrugging.

"But..." Adam trailed off, looking over to Larry in confusion.

Larry very pointedly didn't look back, though he could tell that Adam and Craig were both watching him.

Adam shook his head. "I really didn't expect him to be that shallow."

"Oh, he's not shallow; he's... hmm, how do I put it?" Layla asked Warren.

"Hero and plain," Warren replied.

"That works," Layla said, grinning.

Craig laughed and shook his head. "If that's your idea of subtle, you need to work on it."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Adam asked, still caught up in Larry's betrayal.

"Dude, take a minute and  _think_  about it," Craig said, clapping him on the shoulder. Then he turned his attention back to Layla and Warren. "I'm in. My folks are going off a barbecue that we've all been invited to at the end of the month?" he added pointedly. "My sister's coming too, she's bringing the twins, and somehow I've been roped into bringing a salad. I don't even  _like_  salad."

Adam stopped trying to analyse their earlier conversation and nodded. "Same with mine, and my uncle said he's going to bring brandy schnapps. Word of warning: don't eat the brandy schnapps."

"Who else have you invited?" Craig asked, looking around the cafeteria suspiciously.

"Ethan, Zach, Donny, Wendy, Lisa," Layla ticked off, trying to think of anyone else. "Larry and his parents were invited, but I'm not sure they'll be coming."

"I think Ethan's mum wants him to invite whoever else is on the school paper with him, so Ben might be there as well," Warren said, shrugging.

"Actually, with the way she's talking about it, she practically wants me to invite the rest of the school," Ethan said, standing at the edge of the table with Zach, Donny, and Wendy behind him.

"Take a seat," Layla said, indicating to the rest of the empty table. "You already know each other, this just makes it easier to talk. Do you want to get Lisa and Ben, Ethan?"

Ethan nodded and looked around to see where they were sitting, standing and leaving the table a moment later.

"You don't mind, do you, Adam?" Layla asked, seeing an odd expression on his face.

"Nah, it's fine. Lisa's been so busy with the school paper, I didn't even think she was in here."

"We're having a study group at Ethan's on the weekend, if you want to come too," Layla offered Wendy and Donny.

"Yeah, all right. Are Craig and Adam invited too?" Wendy asked, realising just what Layla meant with her offer.

"Maybe next time, I don't think there'll be enough room for all of us at Ethan's," Layla replied.

"So what're you bringing to the barbecue, Zach?" Wendy asked, ignoring Craig and Adam's curious looks.

"Oh, I was just thinking cheese and dips, y'know, something simple. Heidi will probably eat all of it on the way there if I let her," he said with a grin.

Warren felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and checked to see if it was a call or text message. "Honey says she'll be bringing cake. Also, Sarah, Jared, and Toby are bringing bread rolls."

"You're inviting the characters from  _Labyrinth_?" Craig asked, frowning.

"What's  _Labyrinth_?" Adam asked.

"Dude, you don't know the movie  _Labyrinth_?"

"Uh, no. What's it about?"

"Sarah's younger brother Toby gets kidnapped by a Goblin King named Jareth; she has to save Toby by going through a labyrinth to face the Goblin King. There's also muppets. What? That's the simplest explanation," Wendy said defensively when the others all looked to her.

"And how do you know about that movie? Dude, it sounds like a chick flick," Adam said, looking at Craig pointedly.

"It's a movie, Adam. Watching it isn't going to make your genitals crawl back into your body," Donny said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"So basically, everyone here except me has seen it?" Adam asked.

"Pretty much," Zach confirmed with a grin and nod.

"How've you seen it? You hate those kinds of movies," Adam said to Craig.

"My older sister went through a David Bowie phase when we were younger. I've seen that movie so many times I could probably repeat it word for word. A one-man play," Craig added, grinning as his features slipped from his own towards the higher cheekbones and lighter hair of David Bowie's as the Goblin King.

"Oh, are we talking about  _Labyrinth_? I loved Sarah's dress in the fantasy scene," Lisa said with a grin, sitting beside Adam.

"You've seen it, too? What about you, Ben? C'mon, man, back me up here," Adam said.

"Sorry, Adam; saw it at the 80's film festival last year," Ben said with a chuckle.

"Wait, you haven't seen  _Labyrinth?_  Ooh, I know what we're doing this weekend," Lisa said, grinning.

"Fine, if only to see what you're all going on about," Adam muttered.

"We could just get Craig to perform it for us now," Layla said, seeing he was still in the Goblin King's guise.

"Yeah, c'mon, Craig. I thought you said you can repeat it word for word?" Wendy said with a broad grin.

Craig's features slipped back to his normal freckles and red hair, but then he changed to Sarah so abruptly that even Warren was surprised at the smooth transition.

"Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great..." Craig said, trailing off as the bell rang loudly.

"You've done that before, haven't you?" Wendy asked, grinning at him.

"Yeah, a few times," Craig admitted, gathering his tray and getting his features back to normal again.

"You were good. Maybe you should do a play of Labyrinth; it'd be interesting, at the very least."

"With that many characters? No thanks!" Craig said with a laugh, heading to class with Adam, Lisa, and Ben.

"What are you bringing to the barbecue, hippie?" Warren asked as they filed out after the rest of the student population.

"I haven't decided. I might wait until I know what everyone else is bringing, then I'll see what's left over," Layla said, grinning.

"Sounds like a good idea," Warren admitted. "See you at Save the Citizen," he said, heading to his locker down the hallway.

Layla thought of just how huge this barbecue was becoming, at the amount of people she and Warren could potentially have on their side when their plans fell into place, and smiled.

...

"Mrs. Woo only gave me the morning off, so I won't be at the barbecue for the whole thing," Warren said.

"How long will you be there?" Layla asked.

"I have to be at work at 3pm, so whenever it starts until 2:30pm, I guess. Wait, we are still having it at that park, right?"

"As far as I know, it is; Frieda hasn't told me otherwise. The park's probably the biggest place to actually hold everyone."

"As well as other random citizens that just want to go to the park for the day," Warren pointed out.

"They'll be fine. We're eating food and meeting each other, not going to battle," she said, rolling her eyes as she headed downstairs.

"With the amount of people that will be there just for our barbecue, it might end up that way."

Layla laughed and held her phone to her ear with her shoulder as she grabbed another box from the front porch to take up to her room.

Frieda had picked her up from the bus stop that evening after work, and when they arrived back at her house, Layla's things had been sitting in boxes on the front porch, packed haphazardly and sitting beside every plant Layla had taken with her to Greta's house. Even the hydrangeas that Layla had restored were sitting on the porch, ripped out of the ground and dumped in a garbage bag. She'd hurried out of Frieda's car to take care of the poor plant, replanting it in the back garden as fast as she possibly could, Frieda offering trowels and gloves. Layla hadn't needed either, the hydrangeas responding to her power and the roots joining with the earth easily enough. Frieda had left and returned with potting mix, and Layla did accept that, taking handfuls to press down around the poor mistreated plant carefully.

"I cannot believe your Great Aunt would do this. Selfish old cow," Frieda muttered, helping Layla pat down the potting mix, ignoring the stains on her dress. "Now that the hydrangeas have been salvaged, would you like help to bring everything inside?" she offered, wiping the sweat from her forehead and smudging some dirt on herself instead.

"I'll carry the boxes, if you wouldn't mind bringing the plants back here, please? I know it's late, and you probably want to sleep instead of dealing with a few plants, but - "

"No apologies needed, dear. Well, not from you. Greta has a few to deliver," Frieda muttered. "You take your boxes upstairs; I'll deal with the plants."

Layla nodded and tugged her dirty shoes off before walking back through the house to get the boxes to take upstairs. She trusted that Frieda would be careful with her prized plants. Frieda had called out about half an hour that the plants were safe and she was going to bed, and for Layla to take care and finish up soon. That had been almost an hour ago, and it was nearing on 11pm now.  _Only one more box to bring upstairs_ , she realised with a tired sigh of relief.

Deciding to skip opening the last two boxes, she went back downstairs to grab the final box. She kept her footsteps quiet, not wanting to wake Frieda.

When Layla had called Warren to let him know what had happened, he'd threatened Greta with many varied things that made her heart flutter and fill with warmth. They'd spent the time since talking, Warren keeping her company as she unpacked her things and tried to discover if Greta had stolen any more of her possessions. Layla had found most of her clothes and jewellery dumped into a box together and had spent a good thirty minutes carefully taking her earrings out of her knitted scarf, the hooks caught in the twisted yarn.

"So, if it did come to that, who do you think would win out of the adults?" Layla asked with a grin as she placed the final box beside her bed.

"Depends what the battle would be over," Warren said, grinning himself.

"Either way, your mother would be one of the last ones standing," Layla said, pulling her jeans off and wincing at the dirt and dust that had gathered on the material.

"Probably her and Ethan's mother as a final face-off."

"Anita is a citizen," Layla said, surprised at his choice.

"Yeah, and just as terrifying as my mother without her power," Warren pointed out.

"Her driving is, definitely. But as a final face-off, I think it would be your mother and... hmm, Honey."

"Interesting choice. All right, what about our generation?"

Layla pulled her shirt off, unclipping her bra with a soft groan of pain, and took a moment to slip on a pyjama top before picking up the phone again.

"You 'kay?"

"Yeah, getting changed. Two more boxes to open; they can wait until tomorrow," Layla said with a wide yawn as she slipped into bed.

"You want to sleep?"

"Soon. I think... Donny and you'd be the last two."

"Huh. I was thinking Popsicle and you."

"Ethan, really?"

"Yeah, he can melt down and avoid the fighting for the most part."

"Mmm, good point. I wonder what Donny and Honey will make of each other?"

"Telepathic and seer? It'll be interesting; hope I'm there to see it."

"Same. I'd better get to sleep. G'night Warren," Layla murmured.

"Study group at Ethan's tomorrow, don't forget."

"Mmkay," Layla mumbled, already falling asleep.

Warren shook his head and hung up the phone, sending a text message to remind Layla so she'd see it in the morning when she woke up.

...

"Hi Mrs. Damsale. You're going out with Heidi?" Layla asked, surprised to see Zach's sister in the Damsale's foyer.

Anita's face pinched slightly. "Someone has to get the girl some culture or she'll go insane. Not that I mean anything against Zach's parents, but... They're not the kind of parents I'd like to look after my son," she muttered.

"Did something happen?" Layla asked, eyes wide as she tried to see anything wrong with Heidi.

"No, nothing like that. Unless you consider neglect... There you are. Ready to go, Heidi?"

Heidi nodded with a bright smile and signed 'hello' to Layla. She signed back, smiling when Heidi grinned and gave her a thumbs up for her effort. Putting her hearing aid in properly, she looked to Anita and Layla.

"Are we still going?" Richard asked, coming up behind Heidi and placing a hand on her shoulder so she wouldn't be surprised at his presence.

"Where are you going?" Layla asked, looking between the three of them.

"There's an exhibit at the train museum; they've got motorised engines and a track with an electric train that runs through the whole museum," Richard said, sounding as excited as Heidi had been about the light exhibition a month ago.

Anita smiled at her husband fondly as he squeezed past to get to the car that much faster. "That's the man I married. I swear, he's going to be coming back with one of those train conductor hats and probably have more fun than Heidi," she said, laughing as she followed her husband down to the car.

"Heidi, you're not going to make a spectacle of yourself, are you?" Layla asked, bending so she and Heidi were face to face.

Heidi looked away, not able to meet her eyes. Layla waved to get her attention again and Heidi reluctantly looked at her.

"Remember what happened with Zach?" she asked, receiving a pale nod in return. "Keep that in mind when you practice. If anything major happens, the museum may need to shut down early. Don't draw too much attention to yourself. We want - need - you to come back unharmed, understand?"

Heidi nodded again, colour returning to her cheeks.

"Have fun," Layla added, winking as she stood up.

"Thank you," Heidi said, hugging her briefly before running down to where the Damsales were waiting.

"Where're they going?" Warren asked, coming up the garden path as the Damsales and Heidi drove off.

"Electric train exhibit at the train museum," Layla replied, shaking her head.

"Heidi's not going to fry the trains, is she?" Warren asked, following Layla inside.

"Hopefully not."

"Hey guys. Zach's already in the dining room; we've got a Mad Science test on Monday, and he's freaking out," Ethan said, heading past with a basketful of wet clothes from the laundry.

"No, I'm not!" Zach called back. "I just have a healthy concern for my academic future."

"What's with the laundry, Popsicle?"

"Promised Mum I'd hang the laundry out if she'd take Dad and Heidi out to the train exhibit," Ethan replied over his shoulder, heading out the back door.

"Have Wendy and Donny arrived yet?" Layla asked.

"Not yet; Wendy said they'd be by after lunch, so we have until then to study," Zach said, tapping his pen against his cheek as he tried to understand his Mad Science notes.

"What's the test focusing on?" Warren asked, sitting across from Zach.

"Rays. We've been learning about them for the past two weeks, and I'm  _still_  getting heat rays mixed up with freeze rays," he muttered.

"I brought my copy of the Supers Dictionary; it might help with giving you an easier definition of them?" Layla offered, looking in her bag.

"The one that was sponsored by The Commander and Jetstream and has their faces on the cover?" Zach asked, wincing when Layla pulled out that exact book. "Can I desecrate it first?"

"No, Zach. People will see it if it's on the front cover," Layla replied. "That's why I bought the hardcover copy with a book jacket," she added, taking the jacket off the book and handing it to Zach to do his worst.

He grinned and immediately started to draw on The Commander's face.

Ethan returned to find them all drawing on a book, The Commander sporting a moustache and Jetstream with a pair of horns and fangs.

"Nice to see you all taking this study session seriously," he deadpanned, sitting next to Zach and pulling his own notes over to study.

"We were waiting for you to come back," Zach said, waving Warren and Layla's pens away so he could look in the dictionary for the difference between heat and freeze rays.

Layla grinned at Warren and opened her own notebook to work on her essay for English for Heroes. Warren hid his own smile and found his textbook for Tactical Battle Strategies.

...

End of the thirty-eighth chapter.


	39. Chapter 39

Wendy and Donny arrived after lunch, as they'd said they would, and followed Ethan through his house for a brief tour before they ended up in the dining room with the others. Warren and Zach were in the middle of an argument about which weapon would win: a heat ray or freeze ray, while Layla was sitting back watching their argument with amusement.

"Yeah, but if you faced off with a heat ray and a freeze ray, they might not cancel out unless they had the same power settings. If the freeze ray was set to 'cool', then the heat ray would totally win," Zach argued.

"Only if it's at its highest setting! If they were both set at low or middle settings, then they wouldn't get far enough to cancel each other out. A freeze ray is  _meant_  to freeze, not just cool the air around it! And a heat ray is meant to heat, not warm something up! It's a weapon, not a fucking microwave!" Warren snapped.

"If they're only meant to freeze or heat, then why do both weapons have three settings?!"

"Because idiots probably burnt themselves and then bitched to the manufacturers," Warren snarked.

"I think you'll find that it was Jetstream who did that, actually," Wendy interjected with a smirk.

"Really?" Ethan asked with a grin, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"The Commander endorsed the heat ray back in the 80's when it was first released. Until he burnt several holes in his Secret Sanctum and almost destroyed King Kamehamayhem's surfboard, that is. Then Jetstream told the manufacturers it needed a safer alternative, and the three-switch system was created."

"How'd you know that?" Ethan asked eagerly.

"I did my assignment for Media for Heroes on it last year. I'm pretty sure the original ad where the Commander accidentally set his gloves on fire is still somewhere on the Internet," Wendy added.

"I'll find it," Ethan said with a grin, moving to sit beside Zach and open a new Internet browser.

"Glad you could make it. You haven't changed your minds, have you?" Layla asked, looking between Wendy and Donny.

"We haven't decided on anything yet," Donny replied.

"Hopefully that'll change by the end of the day," Warren said, sitting by Layla.

Wendy noticed that Layla wasn't wearing her usual bracelets and bangles, and Warren's arm was free of its usual leather cuff. In their place were a string of flames and vines, twirling around their wrists fiercely.

"You got matching tattoos?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Layla smirked. "Not quite."

Beside Wendy, Donny let out a soft gasp, barely a breath between his lips, and she wondered what he was seeing in their thoughts.

"They... That's their powers; they did it to each other willingly," Donny said.

"Fuck. Do you have any idea what you've done?" Wendy asked, eyes wide.

"Of course we do," Layla replied calmly with a nod.

Beside her, Warren nodded as well, then he smirked and put an arm around Layla's shoulders. "The benefits are totally worth it."

Layla just rolled her eyes at him.

"What're they talking about, Lay?" Zach asked, looking between them and their tattoos in confusion.

"Warren and I branded each other with our powers. At any time, no matter where I am, I can access anything created by my power, including the vine that's in Warren. He can do the same with his fire, which is in me. Basically, we can kill each other with little more than a thought."

"Fuck."

"Can probably do that too, if we wanted," Warren muttered, voice not quite low enough.

"Wait, what?" Ethan asked, looking up from the laptop briefly.

"Feelings can be transmitted by power. Pain, pleasure, both; whatever else we like," Warren replied.

"I don't want to know what you two get up to in the bedroom," Wendy said, nose wrinkling.

Warren just smirked back at her, then looked at Layla. "Finished your essay?"

"Yes, I think so. I'll re-read it later. Zach, finished?"

"In a sec; just going to write that bit about three-switch settings," he muttered, writing a few more sentences.

"You actually study?" Wendy asked.

"Yep; gotta get good grades to rule the world, y'know," Zach replied, snickering.

Donny shook his head and sat next to Ethan. After a moment, Wendy sat beside him.

"Found it! Finished yet, Z?" Ethan asked.

"Yeeeees," Zach said, finishing the last written word on the drawn out syllable. "Now, let's see the Commander set himself on fire."

The video was brief and had the usual white flickering that TV reels had had back in the 80s, but it was clearly a younger version of the Commander. He stood in front of the camera for a few seconds in his usual pose, hands on hips and broad smile on his face.

"Hi, I'm The Commander. Frost giants terrorising your town? Buy a heat ray; that'll shrink him down to size!" he said, holding up the ray with another broad smile.

"Cut! That's the line for the  _next_ advert! It's 'buy a heat ray, it'll turn your town into a beach!'," a frustrated director called from the sidelines. "Again! Take forty-two!"

The Commander looked embarrassed and coughed slightly, then nodded and posed again. Before he could get through his line, his thick-gloved finger slipped to the trigger, the heat ray made a hissing noise, and smoke started to show on the screen. In seconds, the Commander's gloves were on fire, and All-American Boy could be heard yelling for water in the background.

"All-American Boy was still with him? I thought he was already with Jetstream by then?" Layla queried, surprised.

"All-American Boy stuck around like a third wheel for about four months after the Commander and Jetstream joined forces," Donny answered. "He wouldn't get the hint and leave, so the Commander kicked him to the kerb in public instead."

"At the opening for Tokyo Disneyworld's  _Super Super!_  ride, no less," Wendy said, grinning.

"Really? Oh, see if you can find that too, Eth," Zach said with a cackle.

"You sound like an evil witch, but all right," he replied, turning his attention back to the Internet. After a few minutes, Ethan had found the video, and they waited for it to load.

"We'll talk serious stuff after this, okay?" Layla promised, receiving a nod from Wendy and Donny.

Zach immediately packed his homework away and brought out his outfit designs, waiting patiently beside Ethan.

There was a knock at the door before Ethan could press play on the video, and he looked at the others with a frown. "Did you invite anyone else, Layla?"

"No; are your parents expecting anyone?"

"No, they would've told me," Ethan said, standing and brushing off his clothes before he headed to the front door warily. "Who is it?"

The answer that came was too muffled for the others to hear, but Ethan opened the door a moment later. They didn't have to wait long before Ethan returned, and more than one person blinked in surprise on seeing him carrying several plush elephants.

"Honey?" Warren and Layla said, surprised to see the seer follow Ethan inside with more elephants and a pillow tucked under her arm.

Honey held up a finger in response to indicate for them to wait, then handed out the plush elephants to everyone, except Donny. She very carefully kept her gaze on the elephants she handed out, and quietly instructed everyone to concentrate on their elephants. Finally, when everyone else held two elephants in their hands, Honey handed Donny the large pillow, and the seer and the mind-reader looked at each other.

Donny stared at her for about two full seconds before he started screaming. The pillow muffled his noise a moment later, but his screams continued. From the corner of her eye Wendy could see that he was crying. She forced herself to concentrate on her elephant once more.

After almost three minutes, Donny's screams stopped, and he pulled the wet pillow away, breathing in lungfuls of oxygen heavily.

"What the fuck was that?" Zach asked, looking away from his elephant to the seer and mind-reader.

"And who the fuck are you, exactly?" Wendy added, looking between the woman and Layla and Warren.

"I am Honey, you know me as Hourglass," she replied, then turned to Zach. "I don't have the ability to turn my power on and off at will, as you do. I have learnt to deal with it over the years, but the sudden influx of information can be extremely hard to handle for those unused to the strain. I just taught Donny how to filter out anyone's thoughts - mine included - at his will, condensing five years' worth of lessons into the last three minutes," Honey said, looking pale and covered in a sheen of sweat.

In comparison, Donny looked steadier than he had been before her arrival. He stood without a word and led Honey to his seat so she could sit down. She smiled her thanks at him, then turned her attention to the others seated around table.

"I believe the video will have loaded by now, Ethan," Honey said with a quick smile.

Ethan blinked and nodded, realising that the forgotten video was still sitting open on his laptop. The others all crowded around after a moment, looking between Honey and Warren and Layla, as if expecting something else. Ethan glanced behind to make sure everyone was ready, and then pressed play on the video.

"The  _Super Super!_  ride is now officially open," the Commander said, a suited dignitary translating his brief words into Japanese for those gathered.

Jetstream was standing beside the Commander, and she smiled out at the crowd as she cut the large ribbon to the ride's entrance.

Loud cheers and applause followed, and All-American Boy rushed to take the giant scissors from Jetstream at the same time she turned to hand them back to the Japanese Ambassador. In his rush, All-American Boy smacked straight into Jetstream, and his baby blues widened as he backed away just as fast, apologising over and over. Jetstream's smile was forced, not quite as genuine as it had been a minute ago.

"It's fine, All-American Boy. Nothing's broken, I'm fine," she said.

Beside her, the Commander was turning an unsightly shade of red, as if All-American Boy had purposely swung at his girlfriend. The Commander pulled All-American Boy to the side as Jetstream stepped forward to thank the Ambassador and people of Japan for letting them visit their beautiful country. Steve, obviously forgetting that his microphone was attached to his outfit, started berating All-American Boy.

"What the hell was that, Jonathan? I know you're upset that I've teamed up with Jetstream, but you don't have to attack her every chance you get!"

"I-I never. I wouldn't! It was a mist-"

"No, it wasn't! Just like the last time wasn't; you're a sidekick who has precision jumping as a power, how is it that you  _missed?_ "

"She said to leave - "

"No, no more excuses! If I can't count on you to not attack my girlfriend every time you're in the same room as her, then I can't count on you to be my sidekick anymore! All-American Boy, your services are no longer required: you're fired."

All-American Boy was actually crying now, trying to stammer through another apology that the Commander refused to listen to.

"Jetstream looks awfully smug, doesn't she?" Zach pointed out, drawing everyone's attention away from Mr. Boy.

The smug expression was definitely there, but as soon as the Commander looked at her, Jetstream's eyes widened and she pointed to her own microphone. Steve paled and stepped back out onto the stage, leaving All-American Boy blubbering behind him, already forgotten. The video cut off abruptly through the Commander's brief apology, which again was translated into Japanese for the crowd.

"What did the Commander mean when he said All-American Boy missed?" Ethan asked, frowning.

They all looked to Honey, who was still sitting in Donny's former seat, as the only person present who'd been alive at the time. There had been very little published about All-American Boy once the Commander and Jetstream teamed up, even during the four months he spent as their third wheel.

"Jetstream and the Commander were still in the early stage of their relationship, and the Commander didn't want to get rid of All-American Boy, especially as he'd saved his life the month before. So Jetstream kept quiet, and it was obvious to everyone except the Commander that All-American Boy had a crush the size of the Americas on Jetstream - it was worse than his crush on the Commander, and that's saying something," Honey added with a smirk.

"Still, they fought crime together in those first few months, as a test run to see if the two heroes would work out. If not, Jetstream would fade back into obscurity - maybe with fifteen minutes of fame as the Commander's ex-girlfriend - and All-American Boy would keep his job as the Commander's sidekick.

"A local villain called Mallow tried to defeat the three of them, and might have succeeded. He used a white marshmallowy substance to keep them stuck to the ground while he robbed a bank. All-American Boy was able to jump out of the marshmallow, but it took him about fifteen minutes and used most of his meagre strength, since he'd recently saved the Commander from a vat of toxic waste, and was still recovering. Jetstream managed to get out next, and she flew at Mallow. He attacked with his marshmallow, and when she was hit and unable to fly, All-American jumped up to save her. He was tired from his ordeal, didn't jump high enough, and Jetstream fell to the ground a moment later. Thankfully, the floor was covered in marshmallow and she wasn't hurt. But it set off the Commander enough to get free of Mallow's attack and knock him out a few minutes later.

"Well, that's what the papers said, at least," Honey added.

"So what really happened then?" Ethan asked.

"Mallow's attack didn't knock Jetstream unconscious, and when All-American Boy jumped up to catch her, she told him to leave her alone, so he fell back."

"Let me guess, you were one of the people at the bank and just so happened to hear Jetstream when the Commander didn't?" Wendy sneered.

"The Commander was attempting to eat his way out of Mallow's attack, marshmallow blocked his ears for the next week," Honey replied. "And I was there, in a way. Mallow needed someone to help him rob a bank, and I needed enough money to buy a local business. Thankfully, the marshmallow covered enough of the floor so that when he was knocked out by the Commander and arrested, I was able to hide with the stolen money."

"Wait, you've actually  _successfully_  robbed a bank right under the Commander and Jetstream's noses?" Zach asked, grinning.

Honey nodded. "The bank was told not to report the money as missing, since it would jeopardise the Commander and Jetstream's reputation."

"Not to mention their relationship; Jetstream wouldn't stay with someone who didn't get results," Wendy snickered.

"Very true. In fact, if they had reported it, Jetstream would have dumped the Commander far faster than he dropped All-American Boy. She would have ended up marrying that future's Mayor, and Will probably wouldn't have been born. It's a toss-up on that one.

"The Commander would've spiralled down into depression and alcoholism, and ended up in a gaol cell right next to Baron Battle for robbing every single liquor store in Maxville and Westville. Such a shame," Honey tutted, grinning when they laughed.

"Sounds like you're all having fun!" Anita called from the doorway, the front door closing behind her entry with Heidi and Richard.

Realising that the book still had its jacket off and was showing graffitied versions of the Commander and Jetstream, and that Zach had his outfit designs out, they all hurried to cover anything incriminating with a stuffed elephant, the table covered in seconds.

"I hope you've finished - oh. I wasn't aware we had guests. Ethan, introduce me to your friends," she said, looking at Honey in obvious confusion, barely noticing the elephants in the room.

"Mum, Dad, this is Wendy and Donny from school, and this is Honey," Ethan said quickly.

"From?" Anita prompted.

"I work at  _Labyrinth_ , actually. But I'm really here to see you, Mrs. Damsale. My mother's organising the barbecue for next weekend, and I wanted to introduce myself to you properly. I was thinking of doing an exposé on non-super parents with super children, and how they raise and support their children. I think it might provide some insight for other parents who are going through the same thing, but not doing as well as you and your husband are."

Anita seemed both flustered and somewhat suspicious at Honey's praise, and then looked from her son to Zach and Heidi. "We'll talk in the lounge room," she said, indicating the way for Honey and Richard. "Heidi, why don't you show the others what you bought at the museum?" she suggested with a smile.

Heidi nodded, eagerly taking out a small rectangle box from her bag. It didn't look like much, just a rectangle with a miniature train inside, but when Heidi pressed a switch, the train moved along the track slowly. Before the others could say anything, Heidi held up a finger to keep them quiet for a moment. She looked behind her to ensure that Anita and Richard weren't returning, and then she turned off the switch. Heidi's tongue stuck out of her mouth as she concentrated, focusing on the small train as hard as she possibly could, and slowly, the train began to move again, her power over electricity forcing it to move.

It stopped after a few seconds, but it was obvious that she'd practised and was pleased with her results. Zach got his sister's attention, signing to tell her that she was amazing and he was proud of her. Heidi smiled brightly and hugged Zach tight.

"That's awesome, Heidi. Did you enjoy the trains?" Layla asked when she and Zach pulled away.

Heidi nodded, then laughed her deep, rough laugh, and signed to her brother, making Zach laugh as well.

"She said that she enjoyed the trains, but Richard enjoyed them more."

"That doesn't surprise me; Dad has been dying to convert the basement into a train set for years," Ethan said, and to Heidi and Zach's surprise, he actually signed a few words as well.

Heidi signed something back, far too fast for Ethan's still-learning mindset, but Zach caught it.

"How long have you been practising?" he asked for Heidi.

"A couple of weeks. Wait, that's the wrong sign. I think I said goats," Ethan said, frowning at his hands.

"Not sure how you get those two mixed up, Eth, but it's nice you're learning," Zach said, looking ridiculously proud of his boyfriend, and actually glowing a light red.

"Since they're back early, I expect we're not going to get a chance to talk?" Wendy asked pointedly, reminding Layla and Warren that she and Donny had come for a very different reason than study.

"Ethan, any chance we'll be overheard if we go outside? Your mother has a lovely garden," Layla added a little louder, just in case.

Ethan shook his head. "We have really nosy neighbours; I swear Mrs. Theopolis learned to read lips just so she could spy on everybody else's business."

"Does she know about your powers then?" Zach asked curiously, trying to think if he'd said anything incriminating while outside.

"I wouldn't use my powers outside of school!" Ethan said, eyes wide and tone mocking.

Zach snorted. "Yeah, all right. How about we just go upstairs then? Or does Mrs. Theopolis have a telescope pointed at your room?"

Ethan pulled a face. "I hope not, ugh."

"I'm going upstairs before you two make me throw up," Wendy muttered, heading past to the stairs.

The others grabbed the stuffed elephants and their homework, including Ethan's laptop and Layla's graffitied book, and followed her upstairs. Heidi stayed downstairs, continuing to concentrate on her electric train and making it move. Layla noticed that Donny was still carrying the pillow that Honey had given him.

"You all right?"

"Yeah, fine. Just didn't want to leave it downstairs," Donny said, seeing her gaze on the pillow.

She supposed that was understandable, though Layla had no idea what would be wrong with either of the Damsales finding a pillow in their dining room.

"All right," Wendy said when they were all crowded inside Ethan's bedroom and the door was closed behind them. "Start talking, Layla."

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"What you plan to achieve by having this barbecue, for starters. It's obviously a recruitment drive."

Layla shook her head. "Sometimes a barbecue is just a barbecue, Wendy."

"Although, you're half-right. This one's kind of a recruitment drive," Warren allowed, grinning. "It's more of a chance to see how well everyone gets on. Team building exercises, those trust fall games, all of that crap."

"You're joking, right?" Wendy asked, not looking at all impressed.

"He's joking," Zach said with a grin. "The only time I can imagine Warren doing a trust fall is if he plans on setting his partner alight."

"Good idea; might tell Coach Boomer to make it part of Save the Citizen training," Warren snorted.

"Wait, you guys get  _training_? No wonder no freshman's ever won it before Stronghold," Ethan murmured, surprised that he hadn't thought of it before.

"Yeah; everyone apart from freshmen usually knows that, and that's why no one chooses to go against freshmen. Unless they need to humiliate someone like Speed and Lash tried to do, or with you two and your organised fighting schedule," Donny said with a shrug.

"You know about my schedule?" Ethan asked brightly.

"Yeah, everyone was talking about it and trying to get on the list. You could probably organise fights for Stronghold and... his purple sidekick."

"Magenta Yolanda," Layla supplied.

"If you do organise fights for them, make sure they go against that diamond chick, Jewel. And what's his face, immunity guy. Graham?" Zach mused, frowning.

"Grant," Ethan replied. "I still have that notebook, if it helps?" he added, looking to Layla.

She grinned and nodded immediately.

"What are you guys talking about?" Wendy asked, looking between them in utter and complete confusion.

"When Warren and I were reigning champions of Save the Citizen, Ethan very kindly created a notebook for us listing nearly every students' super ability, listing them under various classifications for how easy they would be to beat, as well as other impertinent information about them. It was a way of us to help choose our next opponents, until we forfeited to you, that is."

"You seem to have updated the notebook, Popsicle," Warren said, eyes widening briefly.

Ethan nodded abashedly. "I  _might_  have added every student at school, and then the supers that I knew about as well, dead or alive."

"Who-what-where now?" Wendy asked, looking at the bulging notebook that Ethan offered to her a moment later. "Easy peasy, challenging, harder, really hard, big boss hard, need health insurance hard. Those are some interesting classifications," she muttered, flipping through the book. "I'm under  _challenging_?! That's it?"

"Well, you don't have the best control over your power! It's difficult to say whether you'll gather a light breeze or summon up a tornado," Ethan explained. "You have the potential for big boss hard if you get it under control," he offered, and while Wendy didn't look entirely appeased, she no longer looked as though she wanted to hit him with a lightning bolt.

"Your notebook include the Commander and Jetstream?" Warren asked.

Ethan nodded. "They're under health insurance bad, but only together. Otherwise, Jetstream's 'big boss hard.' The Commander's still 'health insurance bad'; it's difficult to classify someone who's practically indestructible and yet so unintelligent that he would have been killed years ago if not for his power."

"Can we get on to the more important parts of this discussion?" Zach whined.

"Which is?" Warren asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've finished designing the outfits!" Zach said, and ignoring Warren's expression, he pulled out several sheaves of paper from his notebook and placed them on Ethan's study desk. "I've been going through the obituaries for supers, trying to see if there's any inherit design flaws in their outfits - of course, capes are a hazard, but the other factor is anything big and billowy that can get caught, pinned, or set alight.

"Warren probably wouldn't have that problem, depending on the material, but it's also easier to move around in something that's closer to the skin. And full-body outfits provide better protection, even if they make you sweat like crazy. So, a breathable non-flammable material would be best," Zach rambled on, words almost jumbled together in his nerves and excitement.

Honestly, Zach was fairly proud of the designs he'd made. While the original designs he'd started with were a touch over-the-top and had been scrapped soon after he'd begun researching (apparently there were major problems regarding being blind-sided with those large collars that looked much cooler front-on; Count Vamp had been shot in the head by an arrow because he hadn't seen someone approaching on his left-hand side), these final designs were much more practical.

"I know you said you wanted to add the colours yourself, but I tried a few out. Mostly neutral with greys and blacks; no neon colours, unfortunately," he added with a heavy sigh. "Unless you're really  _trying_  to be seen as a target, bright colour is to be avoided."

"Zach, stop and breathe. You're going paler than usual," Ethan said, frowning at him in worry.

Zach sucked in several noisy breaths. "I'm fine. What do you think?"

"As much as I like flames, that one's a bit much," Warren said, nodding to the outfit with flames all the way up the sides. "I like this one," he added, showing the plain black outfit to Layla.

"It's a good design. I like the way the neck's not constricted. But it's lacking a  _little_  bit of colour," she said, taking up two coloured pencils from the pile that were sitting in a neat row along Ethan's desk. "How about this?" she offered, showing the outfit with two streaks of colour - one of green, and one of red.

"The red's too far down on the pants, it looks like a period stain," Wendy said, shrugging.

"Okay, red up the top and green on the pants then," Layla murmured, taking a moment to erase the colours without ruining Zach's design, and adding the two lines of colour again.

"It's better than plain black; that would just make you look like regular bank robbers," Donny said with a grin.

Layla and Warren both wondered just what information he'd gleaned from Honey.

"What sort of material were you thinking, glow stick?" Warren asked, looking from the design to Zach.

He seemed surprised at Warren's question, but immediately started on a tirade about spandex and melting points. Zach cut off abruptly when both Layla and Warren stared at him, and sighed heavily before continuing at a more understandable speed. "The best materials are usually aramid, novoloid, and vinyon, since they char instead of burn. According to what I've found on the Internet, wool and silk are hard to ignite, and may actually self-extinguish, but I wouldn't want to be the poor bastard to find out that  _that_  information's wrong."

"What's those arachnid, neverloin, and vineyard materials?" Layla asked, trying to remember the names, unsuccessfully if Zach's snort was anything to go by.

"Aramid, novoloid, and vinyon. They're usually the type of material that protective gear's made out of; firefighter suits' material, kevlar, that sort of thing. Very difficult stuff to come by, especially in Maxville. Apparently, the Spinner Sisters used to order huge shipments of that sort of material for their clothing store before they went evil. Of course, after they were captured, their supplier mysteriously had no more of those fibre materials to send to Maxville. Ordering things already made from the material's fine for like firefighters and police with their kevlar vests, but buying the actual fibres for material to make your own suits is a no-no."

"Is that why the Commander wears spandex?" Wendy asked, grinning.

Donny laughed at her question, Layla laughing as she thought of the same reasoning for Principal Powers' and All-American's Boy's spandex outfits.

"What are you all giggling about up here?" Anita asked, knocking on Ethan's door.

"Elephants," they all chorused, seeing the plush toys sitting around Ethan's room.

Anita opened the door and looked in, levelling her son with a hard stare. "You left Heidi downstairs on her own so you could talk about elephants?"

"Sorry, Mum. How's... how's the talk going with Honey?" Ethan asked, trying to assuage her fierce expression with a smile.

Anita's stern face slipped. "Good; Honey's surprisingly knowledgeable about handling kids, super or otherwise."

"That's good to know, I guess. We'll be right downstairs, promise," Ethan said with a broader smile now.

"Good. Don't forget you have to bring the laundry inside."

"Yes, Mum."

"Do you mind if I take this home? I want to read it over, see what sort of notes you've written about people," Wendy said to Ethan once Anita had left.

"Uh, okay. It's probably not very interesting; I'm more about facts than hearsay," Ethan said with a shrug.

"Good. I'll tell you my decision at the barbecue, Layla, Warren," Wendy said, nodding to them before she left the room.

"See you tomorrow," Donny said, heading after her.

Zach lingered for a moment, using a plush elephant to knock into another one. "Wendy's going to be the type to have a cape, isn't she?"

Ethan pushed his glasses up his nose and shrugged. "Maybe she'll be smart enough to see the danger of capes, maybe not."

Warren looked to Layla, who was watching as Zach and Ethan headed downstairs to Heidi.

"What do you think, hippie?" Warren asked.

"She'll probably get a cape."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," he muttered, even as Layla laughed and made her way downstairs as well.

...

End of the thirty-ninth chapter.


	40. Chapter 40

"We're going to be late," Layla murmured, grinning against Warren's lips.

"It's a barbecue, hippie; there isn't a set arrival time," he replied, drawing her in close.

Layla pulled away and grinned. "There is if we want to make it there in time before you have to leave for work. You're leaving at 2:30pm, right?"

Warren nodded. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure if I don't turn up to work on time, Mrs. Woo will come to the park and drag me to the Paper Lantern by my ears."

"It wouldn't surprise me. I'll set my alarm to remind you," Layla said, flicking her phone on and setting her alarm. Warren did the same on his phone, just in case.

"Are you two ready yet?" Nina called.

"Be right there," Warren called back.

"Good; hurry up. I want to get a good spot!"

Layla smiled, kissed Warren's cheek, and left to help Nina finish packing the car with baskets of food, chairs, and several blankets. Warren joined them a few minutes later, carrying a carton of drinks in each hand.

"All right, that's everything. Let's get outta here," Nina said, grinning.

She locked the front door, practically running down to the car to get buckled in.

"Your mother's definitely excited about this barbecue."

"I'm pretty sure it's the first non-work event she's been to since my father's arrest."

"What, seriously?"

"People don't tend to extend party invitations to single mothers whose partners tried to destroy the town," Warren said with a brief shrug, heading down to the car.

Layla sighed, shook her head, and followed after him.

...

Despite arriving at 10am, the park was surprisingly busy. Layla supposed the nice weather was to blame, but as she, Warren, and Nina made their way towards the picnic area, she noticed that quite a few of the people were the ones that Nina, Adam's mother, and then Anita, Honey,  _and_  Ms. Bettendorf had invited.

Sarah was talking with Honey by the sectioned-off dog area, a tall man standing beside her. Layla couldn't help but smile when she saw the poodle, Maltese, and poodle-cross-Maltese dogs running around. Honey waved to Layla and Warren, who waved back.

Anita, Richard, and Ethan were setting up tables near the barbecues, though Anita kept looking over to the playground every few minutes, where Heidi was being pushed on a swing by Zach. Mr. and Mrs. Brighton were adding more ice to a large container full of drinks.

"You kids go and have fun; I'm going to help Anita and Richard set things up. Holy... would you look at that cake?!" Nina muttered, stopping short as she stared at the ridiculously long chocolate-frosted cake that covered a fourth of the picnic table.

"I'd say that's Honey's cake," Layla said with a laugh. "That thing is huge. How did she get it here in one piece?"

"She didn't. Richard and I arrived as she was icing it; there's actually about five separate cakes in there," Anita said, sounding a bit overwhelmed by it herself. "If anyone says we don't have enough food, I won't believe a thing they say for the rest of their lives," she added, grinning.

"Well, we brought more food. And veggie burgers and tofu dogs," Nina said.

Heidi jumped off the swing when she saw Layla and Warren, running across the wood chip playground to meet them at the picnic tables. She almost barrelled into Layla to hug her firmly, then hugged Warren too.

"Hello," Layla said, adding the ASL hand motion along with her greeting.

Warren copied Layla's greeting, and Heidi grinned brightly and signed 'hello' back to both of them.

"There's an ASL short course run in the council building on Saturday mornings, if you're interested in attending," Nina said, looking between the three of them thoughtfully. "I'm sure the Mayor would give you the time off, if you propose it to him in the right way, Layla."

"Ethan, you'd be interested too, wouldn't you?" Anita called over to him.

Ethan pushed his glasses up his nose and looked over in confusion, not having heard the conversation.

"ASL short course, Saturday mornings, council building," Warren supplied.

"Oh, yeah, that'd be great. How much does it cost? And is it all morning, or just an hour or two?" Ethan asked, coming over.

"I can look into it for you and let you both know," Nina offered.

"That would be wonderful, thank you, Nina," Anita said with a smile. "An extra language would look great on Ethan's college applications. Is there another language course offered, do you know?"

Ethan shook his head as his mother led Nina away. Seeing that he wasn't going to be roped into doing more work, and the others had put their food and drinks away in the proper places, Ethan ran towards the playground. Heidi grinned and then ran after Ethan. Zach was swinging on the Tarzan rope, yodelling loudly.

"I think Ethan's got the right idea, kids. Run off before you get roped into things," Richard said with a conspiratorial wink.

Layla laughed and ran after Ethan and Heidi, Warren following at a slower pace.

"Having fun, Zach?" Layla called, grinning up at him.

Zach stopped yodelling and looked down at her. "Me Tarzan. You scary forest-wielding Jane."

"You're looking surprisingly well-groomed for Tarzan," Ethan said, grinning.

"Tarzan likes bubble baths," Zach replied seriously.

"Get down from there before some PTA hover-mum comes over and says you're scarring her precious snotty brat," Warren said, rolling his eyes.

"Tarzan no like PTA hover-mums. Tarzan will scare them off," Zach said, swinging on the rope and starting to yodel again.

Heidi laughed and sat on the swing in the next row of playground equipment.

"Want me to push you?" Warren asked when he had Heidi's attention.

She looked at her brother, who was still occupied, and then nodded. Heidi smiled and thanked Warren in ASL with a hand from her chin. He didn't know how to say 'you're welcome', so he just nodded and moved behind her to push the swing.

"That looks like fun. Think I should add a porch swing to the Hive?" Layla asked, sitting on the swing next to Heidi and pushing herself along with her feet.

"Yes! And a tyre rope swing thingy," Zach called over.

" _Tyre rope swing thingy,_  really, Zach?" Ethan asked, shaking his head.

"You know what I meant, don't deny it!"

"Have you finished yodelling yet?" Ethan asked pointedly.

Zach hummed, thinking about it seriously. "Yeah, think so. Hey, there's Wendy and Donny. Hey, Wendy and Donny!" he called loudly.

"Any louder, and they'll pretend they don't know you," Warren said with a grin.

"I accept that challenge. HEY, WENDY AND DONNY!" Zach practically screamed.

This time, he did get several glares from the mothers sitting at benches near the playground.

"Congratulations, Zach. You just pissed off at least five mothers," Donny said, grinning as he and Wendy approached.

"Only five? Damn," Zach said with a long-suffering sigh.

"Get off that rope, you look like an idiot," Wendy muttered.

"Don't care!" Zach replied.

"If you fall and break your neck, I'm not calling an ambulance."

"If I fall and break my neck, there's at least five angry mothers  _and_  you who won't call an ambulance for me. I'm pretty sure the other thirty-odd people in the park won't be so mean."

"Would you two shut up? Zach, get off the rope. We've got important things to discuss," Warren added, still pushing Heidi on the swing.

Heidi was watching them all carefully, reading their lips and listening with her hearing aid the best she could.

"In a playground?  _That's_  not weird," Wendy muttered sarcastically.

"Somewhat more private than lunch will be. Though you're probably right. Let's go see Honey and Sarah. We haven't met Jared yet," Layla said, stopping the swing and standing.

Heidi waited until she passed before jumping off the swing and landing a metre away.

"Nice, Heids! Ten point landing," Zach said, giving her a high-five.

Heidi grinned and then raced towards the dog park.

"I don't remember ever having that much energy," Ethan said, grinning.

"I don't think anyone has as much  _energy_  as Heidi," Donny said.

"Was that a nerd joke?" Zach asked, gasping dramatically.

"Shut up."

"It was funny," Ethan said with a broad grin.

"You shut up, too," Donny muttered.

Zach hurried to the fence when he saw that Heidi was inside the dog park. She was laughing her rough laugh and smiling so brightly that Zach's face ached in response. Heidi tried to sign something, but the dogs kept clambering over her for attention and pats, and Zach could only laugh at what she ended up saying instead.

"Za-pup-wet-cold-nose. Sounds about right, Heids."

"She'll be fine, Zach. You can relax," Honey said, her hand resting on his shoulder gently.

"Sure?"

Honey smiled. "Positive."

"Ah, another joke. What is it with you lot, today? You know  _I'm_  meant to be the funny one," Zach pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't worry, you're still the funniest person I know," Ethan said, smiling.

Unnoticed in the daylight, Zach glowed a little brighter.

"Warren, Layla, you remember Sarah. This is Sarah's boyfriend, Jared," Honey introduced them to the tall lanky man, who grinned broadly and shook their hands.

"Nice to meet you both. Honey says you're supers too?" Jared asked.

"You're a super?" Layla asked, surprised; Honey hadn't told them that.

"Not quite. My mother was Babel before she retired. Now she's just Babs," Jared said, shrugging.

"Your mother was Babel? The longest-serving super Ambassador to the UN? The woman who just had to know a single word of a language to be able to understand, speak,  _and_  write the full language completely?" Ethan asked, looking as though all of his Christmases had arrived early.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. She's just Mum to me though. Though, learning to swear in 12 different languages is actually as fun as it sounds," Jared admitted with a laugh.

"Is it true that Babel - your mum - can recognise a person's dialect just by looking at them?" Ethan asked eagerly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Actually, that is true. She stopped an attack on the UN headquarters that way. It was hushed up, of course; no one wanted to start an outright war."

"Wait, how did she stop it by knowing someone's dialect?" Warren asked in confusion, looking between Jared and Ethan.

"A person said they were from a particular country, but they were actually from another country all together, and there were high hostilities between that country and another country at the time. Mum told the security personnel, and they discovered poisons both on the person and in their hotel room," Jared said, being very careful not to name names or countries. "Let me tell you: it was both the worst and best 'take your kid to work' day."

"You were there?" Ethan asked, practically gaping at the implications and what Jared must know about the supers' world and how the UN  _really_  thought of it; the things people would say in the presence of a child wouldn't be as guarded as the things they said around adults.

"I tell you what, next time there's another get-together like this, I'll invite my mum along, yeah? She'd love it that someone even recognised her name," Jared said, his smile not quite as humorous or joyful now.

"Layla, when's the next BBQ?" Ethan demanded.

She tried her hardest not to laugh at her friend's enthusiasm, and patted his arm consolingly. "You tell me when the best time is, and we'll organise it, okay?"

"Okay... the school paper's busiest time is  _then_ , exams are  _then_ , final assignments are a week before  _that_ ," Ethan murmured, mentally working through a calendar as he continued to murmur to himself.

"Oh, I wish I could do that in my head; if my phone dies, then so do I," Sarah said with a grin.

"Mum's said the same thing about her calendar at work; she's got everything on there. Even my birthday, which I should probably find insulting," Warren said.

"Is Ethan okay? I swear his brain's running an Excel program on fast-forward right now," Donny said, looking a little queasy.

"Donny, nice to see you again," Honey said with a smile, redirecting his attention away from Ethan's eager and encompassing thoughts.

Donny seemed relieved at the distraction. "You too, Honey. How's Ari's puppy training going?"

"Well; he graduates from puppy school next week. He's only torn up one piece of furniture, but I hated the thing anyway, so I don't really mind."

"The blue chair, or the red one?" Donny asked.

"Blue. The red one will be its replacement."

"Ah, right. That's a better choice with your décor anyway," Donny said, nodding.

"The green might work, but I think it's overwhelming."

"Yeah, a bit. Ari wouldn't like it either."

"No, that's a good point. I'd prefer to keep it intact," Honey added with a brief frown.

"Red's probably best, then."

"Certainly seems that way, don't you think?"

"Definitely; just, whatever you do..."

"Don't get pink," they said in unison.

Layla, Warren, Sarah, and Jared looked between Honey and Donny's back and forth with little clue as to what was going on. It seemed as though Honey was referring to a vision she'd seen, while Donny was responding to whatever he'd seen in her head.

"That was creepy. Seriously, guys: creepy," Jared said, shaking his head. "Hey, Snowball, c'mon, girl. Let's get you on a leash and go terrorise the parents that are glaring at us instead."

"Ooh, I'm up for that. C'mere, Toby," Sarah whistled.

Both dogs bounded over immediately. Their owners put leashes on them and walked them out of the dog park.

"If someone mutters about keeping dogs in the dog park, I say we drop the leashes," Sarah said with a snicker.

"We can't  _both_  drop our leashes."

"All right, I'll drop Toby's leash."

"Please, no one's going to be terrified of that little fluffball."

" _Fluffball?_  Have you seen your poodle lately? She's the definition of a fluffball."

"With sharper teeth," Jared replied, grinning.

More people started to arrive: Craig with his parents, uncle, sister, and her twins; Adam with his mother and father; Frieda and a woman in a business suit who looked very out of place at the park.

"We're not going to get any privacy this way. Think anyone will notice if a storm cloud suddenly appeared?" Wendy asked.

"Out of this sky? Probably," Layla replied. "Would you aim for anyone or just try to get everyone to leave?"

"Depends on how much anyone pisses me off," Wendy replied, grinning.

"You said you and Donny had an answer; this is as private as it's going to get," Warren prompted.

"I promise Ari won't say a thing," Honey added with a laugh, seeing Ari whining for Heidi to keep patting him.

"We're in," Donny said.

"What made you decide?"

"Ethan's book. It's comprehensive but understandable, and the hierarchal structure he's started to organise could actually work," Wendy said.

"You never told us about a structure, Popsicle," Warren said.

Ethan shrugged. "I wanted to work out the kinks before I proposed it; I forgot it was in that book," he added.

"We'll discuss it later. Good to have you with us, Wendy and Donny," Layla said, going quiet as Frieda approached with her guest.

"Heidi, time to get out of the dog park. You'll need to get washed up," Honey said. "Wendy, may you take Heidi to the ladies bathroom, please?"

"Uh, all right. C'mon, Heidi," Wendy said, holding her hand out for Heidi.

Heidi seemed surprised, but reluctantly left Ari and took Wendy's hand, heading to the bathroom.

"Hi Mum, you look nice," Honey said with a smile, kissing her cheek.

"Thank you, Honey dear. You look relaxed," Frieda said, smiling back at her daughter. "Oh, look how big Ari's getting!" she cooed at the dog.

Ari barked happily at the attention, then started to run around the dog park again.

"Mum, introduce your guest; everyone's dying to know who you've brought along."

"Oh, Ms. Martin, my lawyer. This is my daughter, Honey, I believe you met her at the divorce," Frieda said, both of them nodding in agreement. "This is Zach, Ethan, Warren, Layla, and I don't know your name yet, dear?" she added to Donny.

"Donny, ma'am. Nice to meet you," he said, holding out a hand to shake.

Frieda shook his hand, going still as her power worked on him. She let go after a moment, looking from Donny to her daughter, and then to Layla and Warren.

"Everything all right, Mum?" Honey asked, and it felt as though the whole park stopped and waited with bated breath for her answer.

"Yes. Everything's fine," Frieda replied, the park resuming noise and movement in the same breath.

Honey smiled broadly and took her mother's hand, squeezing gently. Layla wanted to know what had just happened, but neither Donny, Frieda, nor Honey looked as though they would say anything while the lawyer was present.

"Layla, Ms. Martin is here at my request. I hope you don't mind me asking in front of your friends, but I was wondering if you would agree to be my adopted daughter."

Though Layla had been expecting something, from what Honey had alluded to over the past week or so, she hadn't truly expected this. She hadn't expected to feel a rush of warmth and happiness, of surprise at Frieda's hesitation and worry, of pure and utter relief at the opportunity to get away from her Great Aunt. It was more than that though, Layla realised. She really did adore Frieda - and not just for her teasing Warren by calling him cutie all the time - and she almost wished that Frieda had been her Great Aunt for all of this time instead of Greta.

"I'd love to, Frieda," she said with a broad smile, moving to hug Frieda firmly.

Honey let go of her mother's hand so Frieda could return the hug. Zach did not get teary eyed, not at all. Beside him, Ethan surreptitiously wiped his eyes.

"I think that's everyone finally here," Honey said, looking over to where Ben and Lisa had arrived with their parents.

"Why'd Lisa arrive with Ben? There wasn't anything for the school paper that I knew about," Ethan added.

Adam looked over to where his girlfriend was laughing with the six-armed boy and frowned in confusion. "I'll be back later," he said, leaving a moment later.

Wendy returned with Heidi, the young girl eagerly watching Wendy as she talked.

"You all right, Heids?" Zach asked, receiving a bright grin and nod in return.

"Layla, if you'll come with me, we'll organise the paperwork to annul your Great Aunt's guardianship on the grounds of neglect and abuse. It sounds horrible, I know, but it will allow the courts to agree to Frieda's claim for adoption sooner rather than later, in order to get you into a more stable home," Ms. Martin said, leading Layla back towards the picnic tables so they had a flat surface for the forms to be filled out.

Richard was already cooking at the barbecue, Mr. Brighton standing nearby stiffly, while Mrs. Brighton talked with Nina at a table. Anita was organising plates and napkins for everyone, and gave a curious look to Ms. Martin, who she didn't recognise.

"Mrs. Damsale, this is Ms. Martin, Frieda's lawyer. She's offered to legally adopt me," Layla said with a bright smile.

"That's lovely, dear. I heard about that horrid Aunt of yours; she won't cause any problems, will she?" Anita asked, looking between Layla and Ms. Martin.

"I certainly hope not, for everyone's sake," Ms. Martin replied, opening her briefcase to get out the relevant forms.

Anita looked from Layla to where Zach and Heidi were playing, then glanced at Mrs. Brighton briefly. "Is it possible for someone to adopt a child - or children - whose parents are still alive and in their care?" she asked quietly.

Ms. Martin seemed surprised at her question, but realising that Anita had a reason for asking in a quiet tone, nodded briefly. "I'll just instruct Layla on what she needs to fill out, and then we'll have a chat."

Layla was surprised at Anita's question herself, but supposed she should have known it would end up that way. She listened to Ms. Martin as she explained what sections of the paperwork to fill out, and sat down with the offered pen to begin.

Warren wandered over after about ten minutes, sitting across from her. "Everything going okay, hippie?"

"It would seem so. I don't have much left to sign. The hardest part was writing what Greta's done to me; reliving that is not fun in any sense."

Warren nodded. "Did you include the part about the jewellery?"

"Huh, no. I'll do that now," she said, flipping back a few pages.

"Think Greta will cause any problems?"

"Probably; she likes the attention," Layla muttered.

"We can take care of that though, can't we?" Warren suggested, voice at a murmur.

"Of course," she replied with a broad smile.

"Good. Thought you were going soft on me for a minute there," he teased.

Layla snorted and shook her head, signing the last of the forms. "This doesn't change a thing. I'm still aiming for something permanent."

Warren's response was cut short by a familiar voice.

"I hope we're not interrupting?" the Commander called out from the edge of the park, hands on his hips, and Jetstream standing beside him, smiling broadly.

"What the fuck are they doing here?" Warren hissed.

The citizens in the park rushed over to greet the two superheroes, take photos, and get autographs.

"Who... Did anyone invite the Strongholds?" Nina asked, keeping her voice low enough to not be heard by the two superheroes over their adoring fans' noise.

The civilians simply looked confused, but the supers in the nearby vicinity shook their heads quite adamantly; Josie was known to be a dominating over-achiever who needed to control everything, and neither her presence, nor her husband's, wouldn't have been welcomed by anyone already at the barbecue.

" _Larry_ ," Layla said, seeing the redheaded boy arriving with his parents.

"The Levinsky's have been trying to get an in with the Stronghold's for years; looks like they finally got one," Craig's sister said, rolling her eyes.

"If either of 'em mention Hawaii, I'm leavin'," Adam's uncle muttered, opening the lid to his container of brandy schnapps.

Several seats away, Layla swore that she could smell the brandy.

"Phil, you promised not to open those until later!" Adam's father reminded him.

"That was 'fore I knew  _they'd_  be here," he replied, eating two schnapps without hesitation.

"What's wrong with them?" Anita asked in confusion, looking between the others.

"If you like to hang off every word they say, then absolutely nothing," Nina muttered.

Jetstream and the Commander finally broke away from their adoring crowd, heading over to the barbecue area with the Levinsky's following closely.

"Good morning, citizens!" the Commander said, smiling at them broadly.

"We were just in the neighbourhood, saw a party, and thought we'd drop by," Jetstream added with a smile just as broad as her husband's.

"Did the Levinsky's need their GPS to get here, or did they follow your ego?" Nina snapped.

Jetstream and the Commander's smiles both faltered, the couple looking to each other briefly.

"Nina, I had no idea you'd be here," Jetstream said in a low voice, wary of the amount of citizens around them.

"I'm sure you didn't, otherwise you wouldn't have shown your faces in a three-block radius, isn't that right?" Nina sneered.

Jetstream's smile disappeared completely and she stopped hovering, her feet touching the ground a moment later. "We - we never had a chance to apologise."

"For what, exactly? For dragging my husband's trial into the public, for telling everyone that I was Barron's accomplice, or for making sure that I could never get a job in the super community again?"

On her wrist, Layla's fire tattoo was aching and spinning wildly, Warren's turmoil and emotions filtering through until she wanted nothing more than to set the world ablaze herself. She stood, ready to do exactly that, the trees and grass swaying towards her in anticipation. A hand fell heavy on her shoulder, Layla forced to her seat abruptly, and she barely resisted the urge to turn and snap at Honey.

Across from them, Mr. Brighton no longer looked so placid or stiff. In fact, he was moving forward, through the gathered crowd of parents and their super teenagers, past his own wife and children, until he stood right next to the Commander and Jetstream.

"Now, now, can't we just let bygones be bygones?" the Commander suggested, looking between his wife and Nina.

" _Bygones_ ," she echoed incredulously. "You  _publicly_  ruined my life, my son's life, and you expect me to forgive you without even a single apology?!" Nina snapped.

The Commander stammered something incoherent and looked to Jetstream desperately.

Jetstream looked from Nina to the crowd around them, from the eager-to-please faces of the Levinsky's, hoping to ride on their coat-tails like others before them, to the fierce expression on Nina Battle - Nina Peace's - face, to the tense and nervous expressions on most of the others around them.

"I think we might have overstayed our welcome, dear," she said lightly, hovering up into the air again.

The Commander frowned. "But... we just got here."

"Yes, and now we're leaving," Jetstream replied tersely through her broad smile.

"Ah. Okay. Will the Levinsky's be joining us for lunch still?" he asked, not quite low enough not to be heard.

Jetstream looked to the redheaded family once more, then shook her head. "Not today, dear. We can't set a precedent of dining with civilians," she added.

The Levinsky's hopeful expressions were dashed in a moment, and by the time Jetstream and the Commander left, they looked around at the other picnickers and realised that they'd managed to ostracise themselves completely. Larry was bright red in a mix of anger and embarrassment, and he avoided looking at everyone around them.

"You're welcome to stay, if you'd like," Nina offered, knowing all too well that the Levinsky's would loathe to associate themselves with the ex-wife of a villain.

"No, thank you. We need to take Larry home," his mother replied, practically dragging Larry and her husband away.

Craig's nephews started crying loudly, Richard cursed when he realised he'd charred one side of the hot dogs, and Frieda put her arm around Nina, leading her away with quiet words of reassurance. Slowly, Honey released her grip on Layla's shoulder, and Layla grabbed Warren's hand, leading him back over to the dog park, which was empty now.

"They certainly know how to ruin a party, huh?" Anita murmured to Honey, shaking her head while Honey nodded in agreement.

"Craig, can you help?" his sister called out, realising her sons weren't going to settle without their uncle's help.

Craig, who had been talking with Sarah and Jared, went over to his sister and nephews, and made a few funny faces at them. When he saw certain that no citizens were watching, Craig changed his features to that of Mr. Godmother, their favourite cartoon character.

"Huh, I didn't know he could change into a cartoon character as well," Ethan said, surprised. "I would have assumed there wasn't enough depth to a 2D character to replicate it properly."

"You make assumptions? Eth, I never would've suspected it of you," Zach said dramatically.

"Oh, shut up," Ethan muttered, rising up on his toes to press a kiss to his lips.

"Zach? What are you doing?" Mrs. Brighton hissed, cheeks bright red as she witnessed her son's display of affection.

"Kissing my boyfriend; I told you I was dating Ethan," Zach replied, frowning.

"But there are children around! And your sister, what would she - "

Her words cut off as Heidi began signing very quickly, looking between her mother and Zach with each sentence.

"Uh, what did she say?" Ethan asked.

"That she's not ashamed, upset, or even embarrassed by us, and for Mum to stop using her as a shield to hide her own homophobia."

"Oh. If I'd known your mother had a problem with us, then - "

"You'd better not finish that sentence in the way I think you're going to finish it, Eth."

" - I would've kissed you sooner," Ethan replied, grinning broadly.

"Zach, Heidi, I'd like you both to stay at our house until your parents have overcome their own attitudes and issues," Anita said, barely sparing a glance at Mrs. Brighton.

Nearby, Ms. Martin seemed to understand what Anita had been alluding to earlier, and jotted a few things down in her phone to follow up on at a later time.

Over at the dog park, Layla had pulled Warren in for a firm kiss as soon as they were alone, allowing him to vent his frustration and emotion in a way that wouldn't involve setting the park alight. When they pulled away, both with swollen lips, Warren seemed a little calmer.

"Thanks, hippie," he murmured.

"Happy to help. Want to talk about it, or do we need to go set the Stronghold's secret sanctum on fire?"

"The second option works for me. While they're still in it, right?"

"Of course; there's no point in destroying their sanctum otherwise. Losing their X-box isn't that traumatising," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Why did we agree to do this again?" Warren asked with a sigh, looking back to the crowd of people still by the barbecue.

"Because we wanted to seem normal while also seeing how everyone worked together to see if they could be permanent. Plus, it's difficult to argue with so many strong women when they get an idea in their heads," Layla pointed out, pressing another kiss to his mouth.

"Have you seen Adam since Lisa and Ben arrived together?" Warren asked as they pulled away, realising that he hadn't seen him in almost an hour.

Layla shook her head and looked back to the crowd. "Lisa and Ben are by the drinks table, but I can't see Adam."

Warren looked around the park completely, trying to see where Adam had gone.

"Uh, Warren? Was that giant pit here when we arrived?" Layla asked, indicating to the far end of the parklands.

"I don't think so," Warren replied, both of them already starting towards the pit.

Ethan grabbed Zach's hand and followed after them, Honey, Heidi, Wendy, and Donny not far behind. Craig finally finished settling his nephews and jogged after the others, curious as to what was going on.

"Holy shit, what happened here?" Craig muttered, looking at the corroded and blackened grass as he approached the others.

"What happened is that Adam's power's changed," Ethan replied, looking down into the hole where Adam was curled up, his whole body leaking acid.

...

End of the fortieth chapter.


	41. Chapter 41

Acid leaked from Adam, his whole body starting to corrode the earth around him, eating away at the dirt, roots, and small insects that called the park their home. He couldn't stop the liquid from oozing out of every pore, burning away his clothes until he was as bare as the day he was born.

If Adam had had any room in his mind for embarrassment, he might have felt the emotion. Instead, all he could think about and focus on was Lisa and Ben's betrayal. The memory of catching them kissing replayed in his mind over and over; he briefly wondered if this is how Layla felt every time she saw Will and Magenta. He'd gone to see Lisa and Ben, to ask why they'd arrived together, and why Lisa hadn't replied to his text as to whether she was coming to the barbecue today or not.

After Adam had sent that text, almost four days ago now, he realised that he had initiated every text in the last two months and Lisa only responded when she wanted something. He had pushed the realisation aside, telling himself that Lisa was busy with the school paper and her schoolwork on top of that: she didn't have time to text him as well, and he was probably being clingy or something stupid like that. Lisa had even cancelled their date to watch Labyrinth together, even after she'd said she'd watch it with him. Adam ended up watching it by himself, just to understand what everyone had been going on about at lunch.

By the time Adam made it to the other side of the park, Lisa and Ben had both disappeared from sight. He cursed himself softly for getting lost in his own thoughts too much, then looked around to see if he could spot them anywhere else. Hearing Lisa's laugh nearby, Adam followed the noise until he came to the block of toilets. Adam almost left right then and there - he had no desire to know what was making his girlfriend laugh while in the bathroom - but his curiosity overcame him and he rounded the corner just as Lisa's laugh was cut off. Ben had all six arms wrapped around Lisa's body and he was kissing her firmly. Lisa didn't push him away, didn't tell him off or that she had a boyfriend, and instead, she wrapped her own two arms around Ben and kissed him back. Adam stumbled away from them abruptly. He couldn't bring himself to tear them apart, couldn't demand an explanation, couldn't do anything but replay that kiss over and over.

He had no idea where he was going and by the time he tripped over a root in the ground on the other side of the park, Adam just moaned in despair and stayed there. He didn't notice when the Commander and Jetstream arrived, the excited noises from the citizens a mere buzz at the back of his mind. Adam could feel the build-up of acidic spit in his mouth, the familiar taste burning along the back of his throat. But then it started to shift, to build up in his body itself, oozing from every available pore in his skin.

He was found about fifteen minutes later, a pit created around him by his acid, and Adam curled up on himself as the acid destroyed the last of his clothes.

"Hey, Adam, get yourself under control, would you?" Donny hissed, kicking a bit of grass and dirt into the pit to jar him into action. "You'll get the Super Bureau here if you go much further."

"What? Why?" Warren asked.

"Underground sensor."

"Can we do anything to help?" Layla asked, not fond of the idea of the Super Bureau arriving now, far too early in her plans.

Donny glanced over to Honey, whose eyes had almost rolled back in her head completely. He reached over and grabbed her hand a moment later, letting out a low groan of pain as his eyes rolled back as well.

"Set fire. Fill hole. Set fire. Fill hole. Set fire. Fill hole," Donny chanted, his body shaking with the force of the seer's vision.

" _Chaos rains fire and the earth swallows them whole_ ," Honey whispered.

"Right, guys give us a barrier here," Warren said to the others, his arms lighting up.

Zach and Ethan hurried to block Warren from view of the parents, Heidi and Wendy standing in front of them too. Warren threw fireball after fireball into the acid pit. Though he and Adam had practised with their powers together, Adam hadn't been at his power's full strength, and the fire burnt away to nothing in a matter of seconds. Warren looked to Layla, who was waiting beside him, ready to fill the hole as soon as Adam was ready.

"I need more power, like we did under the Hive," Warren murmured.

Layla realised what he meant and nodded. "Do it."

Warren pulled her in close, arm snaking around her waist as he kissed her fiercely, his tongue plundering her willing mouth a second later. Their tattoos spun wildly, fire burning and thorns piercing, and Warren built up a fire stronger than anything he'd ever attempted before. He licked at Layla's taste on lips before he sent the large fireball into the pit. This time, the acid receded as the flames licked and ate at it. The acid fought back, fought to protect Adam and keep him blissfully unaware and emotionless, but the fire proved stronger. Within a minute, the acid had disappeared completely. A large leafy vine brought Adam out of the hole and set him aside gently. Then, just as the last of the acid ate away at a few granules of dirt above the sensor, dirt and grass filled the small pit in completely.

(Elsewhere in Maxville, a security officer looked at the blinking sensor, but the blinking stopped barely a second later, and he rolled his eyes;  _probably damn earthworms again._ )

When the grass had completely covered the pit, both Donny and Honey stopped chanting their mantras and Honey collapsed back to the ground. Donny struggled to stay upright, and if not for Wendy's arm around his waist, he might've fallen as well.

"Thanks," Donny whispered, throat raw. "Honey's got extra clothes in her bag to cover Adam with. Zach, Ethan, it's in the backseat of her car. Be quick," he said, nodding down to where Honey's car keys had fallen beside her.

Zach scooped up the keys, he and Ethan running up to the carpark a second later.

"Honey? You need anything?" Layla asked softly.

"A drink, something strong. Actually, a brandy schnapp will suffice. Only one though; don't want to get pulled over for drink driving," Honey murmured.

"Uncle Phil promised he wouldn't open them until after the barbecue," Adam said, voice soft and slow, as if he wasn't sure he could voice the words properly.

"He opened them when the Commander and Jetstream arrived," Warren said.

Adam nodded. "Thought I heard screaming before."

"Want to talk about what happened, or should I make an educated guess?" Layla offered, sitting beside Adam, not caring an ounce about his nakedness.

"Educated guess."

"Lisa and Ben did what Will and Magenta did?"

Adam looked away and nodded briefly.

"Fuck them."

"Heids, language," Zach admonished as he and Ethan returned with a bag full of clothes. "But I completely agree."

Everyone turned away to give Adam some privacy as he changed. Honey didn't bother moving, looking up at the sky and clouds gathered.

"You could probably turn that one into the Empire State building, Wendy," she said, pointing up to one of the clouds.

"Hmm?" Wendy asked, having heard her name but not knowing what Honey was referring to.

"Cloud, Empire State building."

"Food's ready, kids! And Honey," Sarah called out, walking over. "Ari's exhausted himself, so I've got him out of the dog park for you."

"Thank you, Sarah. Remind me to give you a raise on Monday," Honey said.

"Oh no, what are you buying now?"

"Oh, don't look at me like that; you'll like this one."

"That's what you said about the last one," Sarah replied pointedly.

"I still stand by that decision; the street is going to be important, and it's just easier if I own the whole thing."

"That's fine for the future, but right now, it's nothing more than a useless street! It's the real-world equivalent of Kent Road in Monopoly," Sarah groused.

"Yes, you've said that. This new one is a medical facility in the outskirts of Westville. They provide medication to surrounding cities, towns, and counties. They're planning on upping their prices again; I want to make sure that doesn't happen. So... at least 45% of the stakeholders should do. But try for 55%, just in case."

"Fine, but I'm doing it in the morning."

"Good, you'll remember more of this than I will by that time."

Sarah sighed heavily, knowing far too well what that meant for her employer. "I'll look after Ari tonight and check up on you in the morning."

"Thank you, Sarah. Don't forget the raise."

"Believe me, I won't," she said, then helped Honey stand up. "I said that the food's ready, and you're all still standing here? You're ruining teenager stereotypes for me. Go eat, shoo," Sarah said, waving them all off.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Ethan asked curiously.

"Apart from Honey wanting to buy a medical facility, I really don't have a clue," Layla replied.

"There you are, kids. Now, who wants a tofu dog and veggie burger?" Richard asked, grinning.

"That would be me, please, Mr. Damsale," Layla said, smiling at him.

"Good, 'cause they're some of the only things that didn't burn after that unexpected appearance by the Commander and Jetstream," Richard muttered.

Ethan winced when he saw the state of the hot dogs. "I might have a veggie one too, Dad. Not that there's anything wrong with charcoal, but... there really is."

"Don't blame you, Eth," Zach said, looking at his own sorry hot dog.

"Sauce'll cover it up," Warren said, offering him the bottle.

Zach squeezed enough sauce onto the hot dog to hide it completely. "That should be enough."

"If not, there's cheese, onions, and pickles on the table," Richard said, not looking the least bit offended at Zach's sauce-covered hot dog.

Zach almost ran over to the table to get his toppings. Heidi shook her head at her brother, but held her plate up with a smile for Mr. Damsale, who gave her the least-burnt hot dog and burger patty he could find.

If anyone noticed Adam's change in clothing, no one said anything. His mother had been called into work soon after she'd finished eating, and his father had been talking with Richard for most of the time, both of them bonding over their love of trains and model kits. The clothes that Honey had brought for him were similar enough to the ones he'd arrived in anyway, so Adam supposed it didn't really matter.

There was a lot of talking and laughter as people ate their food, barely noticing the burnt meat after adding their toppings of choice. When Honey and Sarah arrived, Honey immediately started to serve out slices of the huge cake she'd brought and iced earlier, while Sarah grabbed plates for herself and Honey. Ari had exhausted himself and was sleeping on Toby's back, Snowball guarding them both protectively.

Layla took Warren's hand in her own and squeezed gently, resting her head on his shoulder. "Today's been good," she murmured.

"Yeah. Definitely better than I expected," Warren admitted, spearing a piece of his cake with his fork.

An alarm sounded, making them pull apart. Layla turned her phone alarm off and sighed. "Time for you to go to work."

"Already?"

"Time flies when you're having fun," Layla pointed out, grinning now.

"Very funny, hippie," he deadpanned, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before he stood and headed to his mother, wiping the last of the cake crumbs from his shirt.

"Time to go already?" Nina asked, looking at her watch in surprise. "Well, that went by faster than I expected. I'm just going to grab some more cake, and I'll meet you at the car, okay?"

Warren nodded and turned, only to be stopped by Honey. She smiled at him and offered a small container with more pieces of cake in it.

"Already packed for you. You'd better get going, or you'll be stuck in traffic," she warned.

"Thanks, Honey," Warren said, heading up to the car.

"Thank you, Honey. We've had a lovely time," Nina said, smiling at her warmly.

"So have I. Now, honestly, go," Honey said, giving Nina a small nudge towards her car.

"Bye!" Nina called with a wave over her shoulder, getting a lot of farewells in return.

She was smiling broadly by the time she reached the car, and Warren frowned in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just... I'm happy. It's been a very long time since I've had anyone to talk to about ... well, anything that's not work, I suppose. I mean, I talk to you all the time, but it's nice to talk to another adult now and then. It's nice to have friends again."

Warren was silent as they drove towards his work. After ten minutes of comfortable silence, Nina glanced in the rear view mirror and saw how the traffic had built up behind her; if they'd left the park any later, they'd be stuck in that mess.

"Thanks, Mum," Warren said suddenly.

"What for?" Nina asked, surprised.

"For everything," Warren said, shrugging and refusing to say anything more.

Nina's expression gave way to a smile and she squeezed her son's hand briefly. "Any time, kid."

...

"Whatever you and Warren are planning, I want in," Adam muttered, sliding onto the bench seat next to her.

"Are you sure, Adam?" Layla asked, not bothering to deny it.

"Yes."

"Good; we'll talk about it later though, okay? Just be patient for now," Layla murmured, smiling over at Anita who was looking at them curiously from her table.

Beside her, Ethan grinned and waved at his mother, taking her attention away from Layla and Adam.

"Patience is my middle name," Adam replied with a broad grin.

"Adam Patience Spattle doesn't have the same ring to it as Adam Mordecai Spattle," Ethan said, grinning.

"How'd you know my middle name?"

Ethan just grinned and didn't answer.

"Adam?" Lisa called, standing nearby with her plate. "Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked with a bright smile.

"There's space at Ben's table, you should sit there instead," Adam snapped.

Lisa paled and looked from Adam across to Ben. "I-I don't know what you mean."

"Yes, you do," Donny said from behind her, he and Wendy moving to the seats across from Layla, Ethan, and Adam. They spread out so there was no more room left, and they all looked to Lisa.

"What did Donny say? You  _know_  he's a liar," Lisa hissed, knuckles white as she clutched her plate.

"Donny didn't say anything, actually. I saw you and Ben making out. Do you want to call me a liar too?" Adam asked, standing to his full height.

Lisa stepped back. "Adam, you can't power up here; we're in public," she said, looking around nervously.

"You weren't saying that to Ben when he had his hands all over you!"

Acid dripped from Adam's fingertips, boring holes into the concrete ground beneath him.

Lisa stared at the holes, then at Adam. "What  _happened_  to you?" she asked, blinking with her third eye. "Layla, what are you doing to Adam?"

"Holding him back so he doesn't kill you. I suggest you leave," Layla said, taking Adam's wrist with a vine and tugging him back towards his seat.

With one last look at Adam, covered in vines that were dragging him down, Lisa made her third eye disappear. She ran to Ben's table a second later.

"Do we want to know what that was about?" Zach asked, coming over with Heidi.

Wendy moved so that Heidi could sit next to her. Smiling brightly, Heidi sat next to her and tugged Zach down beside her.

"Lisa thought that she could cheat on me and still be with me," Adam snapped.

"Want me to go spill my hot dog on them?" Zach offered, looking at what was left of his sauce and topping covered hot dog.

"What toppings  _didn't_  you put on that?" Ethan asked, wincing.

"I don't remember. Pretty sure there was some weird olive thing that I stayed clear of; the rest is probably on there somewhere."

Heidi tugged on Zach's sleeve, part of her burger hanging out of her mouth as she tried to sign at the same time. She automatically mouthed some of the words, her burger falling onto the plate that Donny held out for her.

"Nice catch. Was that you or Honey?" Layla asked curiously.

"Both, maybe? I figured it was going to happen; I've seen Heidi sign and mouth the words at the same time," he said, shrugging.

"Thanks; Mum'd lose it if Heidi ruined her nice outfit," Zach said, taking the plate from Donny while still watching his sister.

Heidi finally finished signing and ate the last of her burger, watching her brother to see what his response would be.

"All right, Heidi. But Mum's seriously gonna lose it, so we're taking Mrs. Damsale up on her offer, at least for tonight, okay?" Zach said, signing his response to Heidi.

She grinned brightly, then grabbed a handful of salad, turned and pelted it at Lisa and Ben's table. Lettuce, carrot, and salad dressing hit them with a wet slap, and Lisa screeched. Zach grabbed the soggy mess of his hot dog and threw the whole thing in the same direction, Ben letting out a cry of disgust. Adam didn't even hesitate, grabbing both his hot dog and his burger, throwing them straight at Lisa and Ben.

The others at Lisa and Ben's table didn't know it was a direct attack, and thinking of nothing more than the fun of a food fight, they began to pelt food back in their direction. Wendy let out a gasp as sauerkraut hit the back of her head, bits sliding down the back of her dress, and she turned with lightning flashing in her eyes, throwing pieces of bread and charcoal in their direction.

"Here you go. Avoid the cake; we'll eat it later," Honey said, putting several squeezy bottles of condiments on the table.

"You came prepared for a food fight?" Ethan called in surprise, over the noise of people's screaming and laughter.

"I came prepared for everything," she replied, grinning.

Layla grabbed the bottle of tomato sauce, shaking it a few times before she undid the lid and squeezed it across the table at Donny. He only managed to dodge some of the oncoming slash of sauce, grabbing the mustard and ducking to hide under the table. Shaking the mustard bottle and undoing the lid, Donny stood and sprayed everyone across from him: Ethan, Layla, and Adam all getting a line and drops of thick yellow mustard along their shirts.

"Ready?" Layla asked, grinning at Donny as she thought of her plan clearly.

He nodded, and they ran over to Lisa and Ben's table, squirting the condiments until only their screams could be heard. Heidi ran over to join them, armed with the barbecue sauce. Lisa and Ben were both covered in three separate condiments, and by the time Zach arrived with the mayonnaise, there was hardly any skin that could be seen.

"Just wait 'til we're at school; I'll get you back for this," Ben snarled, itching to bring out his other four arms.

Zach gave a cheerful whistle, took the lid off the mayonnaise completely and squeezed the lot of it on top of Ben's head. "Look forward to it, Benny-boy."

"Wow, Ben, you look dreadful," Ben's mother laughed. "But you made a mistake in attacking Lisa and my son: you used up all your ammunition!" Then she threw her salad at the four kids, laughing as she used her plate to ward off the salad they scooped up and threw back at her. "C'mon, Ben. Have a bit of fun," she called.

"Oh, I think he's had quite enough  _fun_  for one day, don't you, Benny-boy?" Donny asked quietly, patting his wet shoulder with a wet thwack.

Richard had condiment bottles in each of his pockets in his 'kiss the cook' apron and was spraying everyone like he was in battle. Layla laughed when Ethan betrayed his father and sprayed him with a line of mustard, Richard dying dramatically, sauce squirting out of his 'wound'. Heidi laughed as well and hurried to join them, taking a condiment bottle from another table.

Frieda grabbed Layla's hand and tugged her aside, covered in bits of lettuce and cucumber pieces. "This is the most fun I've had in years!"

"I'm glad, Frieda."

"So am I. Now, I know world domination is in the cards, but I hope your plan starts off on a smaller scale? It's a much better way to start; that's the reason a lot of the others failed, you see. They thought that if they controlled Maxville, then they controlled the world. It doesn't work like that, oddly enough.

"But on the note of Maxville, the Mayor has several mistresses that don't know about each other, and his wife is blissfully unaware about all of them, of course."

"Pardon?" Layla asked innocently.

"Now, now, no need for all that, dear. Honey spent most of today telling me all about it. Donny is a lovely boy, don't you think? He and Wendy will be wonderful together," Frieda said with a smile.

"Oh, uh, yes. I'm sure they will be," Layla said, still somewhat bewildered.

Frieda just smiled and patted her hand.

"So... how many mistresses does the Mayor have, exactly?" Layla asked.

"Oh, I'm sure you can find that out for yourself; you are the man's PA, aren't you?" Frieda added. Then, without another word or warning, she headed back into the food fight, armed with two hamburger buns.

"Are you all right, Layla?" Wendy asked, jogging over to her when she saw that Layla had been standing to the side for a good five minutes.

"I... I think I need to sit down," she said weakly.

"The condiments aren't that bad, are they?" Wendy asked curiously.

"Hmm? Oh, no, they're fine," she said, sitting on the grass.

Wendy sat beside her, and was pleasantly surprised to feel how soft the grass was; usually the park had prickly grass that made her itch for days afterwards.

"Heidi's a good kid, isn't she? Well, not exactly good, but I don't actually care about that," Wendy said, grinning.

Layla nodded, watching as Heidi attacked Ben with Zach by her side.

"I'm thinking that when she's older, I'll have her as my sidekick. Ethan was talking about that ASL class in the city, thought I might join that to help things along," Wendy said.

"Well, being able to understand what your sidekick's saying is definitely a good idea," Layla replied.

"You weren't planning on her as your sidekick, were you?" Wendy asked.

"No, Zach's mine. Ethan will be Warren's," she added.

"Huh. I can kinda see that working. Are either of them at full strength yet?"

"Zach is almost there; Ethan's getting there. A few more months for both of them, I think," Layla said.

"Donny's only just there himself; that thing he did with Honey really helped. I've still got a while to go myself. Think it'll be easier out of Sky High; less restrictions then."

"True, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to keep within those restrictions in the meantime. You know what happens to people who don't stick to the government's limitations."

"Yeah, they get moved to the Super track and get an X-box. Oh, wait, that's just Stronghold."

Layla laughed, and as her laughter faded, she looked to Wendy seriously. "You and Donny are serious about joining us then?"

"As serious as teenagers can be. And since Royal Pain was a teenager and tried to defeat the Commander and Jetstream two times, that's pretty serious," she added, grinning.

Ethan escaped an onslaught of tomato sauce and hot dog buns, and flopped on the grass beside Layla.

"You'll have to practice more; Save the Citizen isn't enough," Layla said to Wendy, carefully making the grass around and under Ethan grow and become gentler on his skin.

"Most things at Sky High aren't enough," Wendy replied with a snort. "They don't want us to reach our full potential, because then we might realise that we're actually stronger than anything the citizens or their government can put on us."

Layla agreed with a nod. "It's not like we can retaliate against them now, though."

"Principal Powers would put a stop to anything before it even started; she wouldn't want another Royal Pain occurring and affecting enrolments," Ethan pointed out.

"She has been listening to rumours a lot more, lately," Wendy mused in agreement. "A few girls swear that there's a listening bug in the bathroom; they heard the feedback."

"Well, there goes my plans for creating an office in the girls bathroom to recruit," Layla deadpanned.

"I don't think you need an office, actually," Ethan said, sitting up. "Sky High obviously won't let you do a recruit drive with 'villains apply here' on a banner, but they do allow extra curricular programs to be organised by students. You just have to word it in the right way that'll draw the right crowd. Or in this case, the wrong one."

"Yeah, you're an absolute badass, Ethan," Wendy said, rolling her eyes at his orange shirt and brown pants.

"Yeah, you're an absolute comedian," he sneered.

"The extra curricular class could be about training for Save the Citizen; that way, you'd get permission to use the gym," Wendy suggested.

"A teacher has to be present for any and all gym use," Ethan pointed out. "Or at least someone on staff."

"Nurse Spex would probably be useful; she'd fall asleep in minutes, and if anything did happen, she'd fix us up without any questions."

"Not a bad suggestion. Who else?" Layla asked, looking between them.

"Well, none of the bus drivers are available after school because they're obviously driving the buses. There's two janitors on staff - both super cleaners; Mr. Boy, Mr. Medulla, Coach Boomer, Principal Powers, Magnitude the Maths teacher, and Ms. Littera the English teacher.

"The student council were considered trustworthy and might've sufficed, until Royal Pain. I'm actually not sure if they still exist, or if Principal Powers disbanded them entirely. There hasn't been a mention of them in assembly lately," Ethan mused.

"Are any of the staff actually useful?"

"Well, as Wendy said: Nurse Spex has a tendency to fall asleep easily and doesn't wake up at loud sounds after working with Coach Boomer for so long. Mr. Medulla comes from a strict military background, went to military school in the United Kingdom before coming back to the US and getting a degree in Mad Science."

"Military school, Mr. Medulla?" Wendy echoed, surprised.

"His lab coat is cut in a military style, and if he had the ability to have hair, it'd probably be cut short."

"I can't imagine him with hair," Wendy said, shaking her head.

In front of them, the food fight was starting to die down. Ben and Lisa had come off the worst and were practically covered in head to toe in condiments, bits of bread, and various toppings. They looked even more disgusting than Zach's hot dog. Most of the other guests were dripping and sticky with condiments, and covered in a surprising amount of salad.

"I didn't think there was that much salad on the table," Layla mused.

"Craig brought three tubs of Tupperware out just before the fight started," Ethan said.

"All right, I think that's all of the food gone for the food fight. Who wants cake?" Honey called.

"Oh, I'd better get some before Zach does," Ethan said, standing up and brushing his pants off. "You two want anything?"

"I'll have a piece, thanks," Wendy said.

"Me too, thank you, Ethan."

Ethan nodded and left to where people were lining up for cake. They were laughing and wiping each other off, smearing more condiments than anything.

"Think Ben'll go through with his threat?" Wendy asked, looking to him and Lisa.

"Probably. I think Zach's hoping he does," Layla added.

Wendy leaned back on the grass and looked up to the sky. Remembering Honey's earlier comment about the Empire State Building, she tried to coax a cloud to change its shape. Zach and Heidi came over with Donny and Ethan following, all carrying a plate and cake.

"Honey put yours on the same plate; I was harshly judged as I left," Ethan said, offering the plate to Layla and Wendy.

Stopping for the moment, Wendy took her cake and ate it, the others all sitting and doing the same.

"Hey, why're you all sitting on the ground? There's perfectly good seats back there," Craig said, heading over with Adam.

"They're covered in condiments. So is your ass," Adam said.

"Ah, hell," Craig muttered, sitting down anyway. His curls were covered in tomato sauce and mustard, and he had a smear of BBQ sauce across his freckles. "Where'd Warren go?"

"He left for work before the food fight started," Layla replied.

"Lucky; I doubt his boss would like him turning up looking like this," Craig said with a grin.

"Probably not. Might invite Mrs. Woo next time," Layla mused, taking a bite of cake.

"The next date can be the 7th of May. It's a Saturday and there's no exams or assignments due around that time," Ethan said.

"That's a couple of months away; that should be enough time to get over this one and plan the next one. What do you think about hosting the next one at the Hive, Honey?" Layla asked, smiling as the woman headed over to them.

Honey set her plate down, settling Ari down in her lap so she could pet the exhausted dog, who was sleeping happily. "It could work. The trees would be finished by then, at least. Give it another month before making any decisions."

"All right, thanks," Layla said.

"Bis is 'm'zin', H'nee," Zach said, his mouth full of cake.

"I think that was a compliment?" Honey said with a slight frown.

Zach nodded adamantly, his cheeks bulging.

"Please tell me he'll mature in the next year, at the very least?" Wendy asked, rolling her eyes.

Zach swallowed his mouthful to poke his tongue out at her.

"Maybe give it two years," Honey replied, grinning.

...

End of the forty-first chapter.


	42. Chapter 42

"I can't believe your mother actually framed that article. The whole thing, too. It's almost A3 size!" Zach whispered, eyes wide at the brand new and very large frame hanging in the Damsale home.

 

The words were in a size 30 font, in bold print, and could _not_ be missed. Still, morbidly curious, Zach bravely stepped forward and read the full article titled:

 

_Non-super parents: just as super as their kids!_

_By H. Olgestein_

 

"Mum's very proud that Honey used an exact quote from her, even if her name wasn't actually mentioned, for obvious reasons," Ethan said, tugging Zach out of the entry just so he wouldn't have to look at the damn article again. "She's promised to do the same with the every article I write."

 

"Your dad had better start reinforcing the walls, then; the school paper is a monthly edition. Sometimes more if The Commander and Jetstream do something especially heroic."

 

"Don't remind me," Ethan muttered, screwing up his nose.

 

"How's it going with the school paper, anyway?" Zach asked curiously, letting Ethan lead him upstairs so they could study (and hopefully make out).

 

"With Ben and Lisa becoming Ben-and-Lisa, it's become an extremely awkward working atmosphere. I don't think they've forgiven me for dumping that bowl of sauerkraut on their heads."

 

"Ah, yeah. Their expressions were so worth it though," Zach said with a grin, moving closer to Ethan to kiss him.

 

"We've got midterms next week, Zach," Ethan murmured as they pulled away.

 

Zach sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Fine. Half an hour of making out for every hour of study?"

 

"Fifteen minutes," Ethan replied.

 

"Twenty?"

 

"Fifteen, final offer."

 

"Deal. You drive a hard bargain, Damsale," Zach said, kissing him once more.

 

"You're both gross," Heidi said from the doorway, scrunching her nose at them.

 

"Don't you have homework to do?" Zach asked pointedly.

 

"Finished. Want to read yours; there's no chance of me studying at Sky High now, so I've gotta learn it somehow."

 

"That's a good idea, Heidi. You can make sure Zach actually studies then," Ethan added with a grin.

 

Heidi grinned back at him brightly.

 

"Fine, but you've gotta leave every hour for fifteen minutes, no questions asked," Zach said.

 

"No answers wanted," Heidi said, looking disgusted again.

 

"All right. We'll start with Mad Science, then work down to easier stuff like English, okay?" Ethan suggested.

 

Zach nodded and pulled out his Mad Science textbook. Heidi sat down across from them, waiting expectantly.

 

"Your hero's significant other is being lowered into a vat of toxic waste. Determine the way to save them by working out the chemical compounds of the waste: C10, H19, O6, PS2," Ethan read aloud.

 

Zach flipped back a few pages, frowning at his textbook. "C is carbon, right? H is potassium?" he guessed.

 

"That's K. H is hydrogen."

 

"Crap. Okay, carbon 10 and hydrogen 19. O is oxygen, I know that one. What the hell's PS?" Zach muttered, looking from his book to Ethan to Heidi.

 

"Don't look at me, I'm 12," Heidi said, shrugging.

 

"The P and S are separate," Ethan said, peering at the textbook again. "There's no PS in the periodic table, at least. P is phosphorus, and S is sulfur."

 

"Ah, that makes more sense. Okay, so 10 lots of carbon, 19 of hydrogen, 6 lots of oxygen. Kinda like H2O; that's gotta mean it's wet, doesn't it?"

 

Ethan sincerely hoped that Zach never had to go up against someone armed with chemicals. Across from them Heidi looked equal parts amused and concerned.

 

"I'll study your textbooks by myself instead," she said, taking Zach's textbook and leaving.

 

"Hey, I was using that!" Zach called after her.

 

Ethan shook his head and offered his own textbook to Zach. He still looked a little put out, but then settled each side of the textbook on their laps, ensuring that they were sitting as close to each other as possible.

 

"Never mind; this works better," Zach said with a grin. "Oh, and the answer is Malathion. It's a pesticide, so if the hero's SO is dropped into it, they'll be needing _serious_ hospital treatment if they swallow it. They'll probably need a hospital either way, I mean it's called toxic waste for a reason, right?"

 

"You knew the answer?! How?" Ethan asked, suspicious and oddly proud.

 

"I've been studying properly for about two months now; we learnt about the chemical formulas of pesticides in Mad Sci. last week," Zach said with a shrug.

 

Ethan grinned. "We've been studying for an hour, right?"

 

"Nah, like five... Oh, wait. Yes, definitely an hour," Zach said, grinning as he shifted to pull Ethan close and kiss him.

 

Between them, the textbook fell to the floor with a thud, but Ethan couldn't even bring himself to care.

 

...

 

Layla was typing at her computer with such fierce concentration that the Mayor had to knock on the desk to get her attention from his doorway. She started at the noise, wishing she'd stop losing herself so easily, and in the next instant, she felt so glad that the Mayor couldn't see her screen. She closed the budget spreadsheet she had open, looking for inconsistencies in the Mayor's spending that could lead her to at least _one_ of his mistresses.

 

"Sorry, Mr. Mayor. Is there anything I can do for you?" Layla asked with a bright smile.

 

"Book the deluxe suite at _The Plantation_ for me next weekend; I've got that meeting in Westville with the Ambassador on Monday, so it'll be easier to get there instead of fighting my way through the commute," he added.

 

"Sunday night, or the whole weekend? Your last meeting on Friday is at 6pm with Dave from Security," Layla said, looking at his calendar.

 

"Reschedule him to Monday afternoon, and book the suite for Friday afternoon to Monday morning. I could do with a weekend off."

 

"Of course, Mr. Mayor."

 

"Put it as a business expenditure, and if my wife calls, tell her I'm at a business meeting that weekend."

 

Layla blinked, not comprehending him for a few moments. Then she nodded quickly. "Of course, Mr. Mayor."

 

_It couldn't be_ **_that_ ** _easy, could it?_

 

Booking the suite took a matter of minutes, and with this new information in her mind, Layla re-opened the budgeting spreadsheet. She sent an email to reschedule with Dave before she forgot, then lost herself in her work again.

 

Layla's desk phone rang what felt like minutes later, but she looked at the time to see that three hours had passed.

 

"Good evening, the Mayor's office, this is Layla."

 

"Good evening Layla. I have a message for the Mayor: if he doesn't wire exactly $1 million to the bank account provided, I will release the video attached to the media," a voice, sinister and robotic, came on the other end of the call.

 

Layla frowned, looking from the caller ID on the phone to her computer as an email notification appeared. "Um... Sexybeast69?"

 

"W-what?" the robotic voice stammered, not so sinister now.

 

"Your email signature; you sent the email from your personal email. Well, I certainly hope it's a personal email address. Oh, and thanks to caller ID, I also have your phone number on record," Layla added brightly.

 

"What? I thought I turned that off?"

 

"You didn't test it before calling here?" Layla asked, not quite as bright now, and somewhat in disbelief.

 

"Uh, no. I thought... Can I call back?"

 

"Well, I'm finishing for the night in about ten minutes; do you think you'll be done by then?" she asked.

 

"Oh. Um... Is the Mayor there?"

 

"No; he finishes at 5pm most days. Have you done any sort of research on this, or is this just a threat? Do you even have a video?" Layla asked.

 

"Yes! It's in the email!"

 

"There's nothing attached," Layla lied, trying not to smile too much as the man cursed heatedly on the other end of the phone. "I think you should try this again another day. How about Monday? Around 4pm?" she offered, seeing that the Mayor would have half an hour free at that time.

 

"Um. Okay?"

 

"Great; good luck with your email and phone," Layla said, hanging up.

 

Curious as to what the video entailed, she saved it to a USB, then added her own research for the evening. With that done, Layla pocketed the USB and packed up for the night. She headed downstairs right on 8pm, waved at Dave at the security desk, and left before Warren even reached the front door. She kissed him firmly, a laugh bubbling up that she couldn't contain any longer.

 

"What's so funny?" Warren asked between kisses.

 

"I'll tell you on the bus," Layla promised, laughing again. "Oh, you're not going to believe what happened."

 

Warren frowned slightly, but walked with Layla to the bus stop as she laughed every now and again beside him. The bus arrived a minute later, the driver waiting for them to sit down before pulling out onto the road again.

 

"All right, hippie: spill."

 

Layla grinned and told him what happened. By the end of her retelling, Warren looked like he was seriously reconsidering his life choices.

 

"We're going to be lumped in with idiots like him, aren't we?" he groaned, shaking his head.

 

"Of course not. He was an idiot and actually agreed to a scheduled time to call back on his threat. I might redirect my phone straight to Dave; he'll appreciate the work, I think."

 

"Mmm, probably. He's not doing a whole lot at work, apparently."

 

Layla raised an eyebrow in query.

 

"What? We talk while I'm waiting for you. Well, if I arrive early or you're late," he amended.

 

"That could be a good thing. What's Dave's power again?"

 

"It's never come up; I'll ask next time I see him. Now, what was the video this guy actually sent?"

 

"No idea, I didn't get a chance to see it. I might be able to access my work email and check though. Would your mum know how to do that?"

 

"Probably, though she'd want to know why you're accessing your work email after work. She's very much a 'leave work at work' kind of person."

 

"It's a good approach to have, but I'm sure I can think of a suitable reason by the time we get to your place. Your mum doesn't mind that I'm staying the night again?"

 

"I think she's trying to push for me to empty out a drawer for you so you don't have to lug your bag around everywhere."

 

"But you always carry my bag."

 

"She doesn't know that."

 

"I'll make sure to bring it up as often as possible," Layla teased, kissing him. "Oh, you know _The Plantation_?"

 

"The hotel?" Warren asked.

 

"Yeah, that one. The Mayor has a business meeting in two weeks, and decided to spend next weekend at the hotel _without_ his wife. I think he's meeting one of his mistresses there, but I can't think of a way to find out for sure without potentially losing my job. I've already gone as deep into the finances as I possibly can without raising any flags," Layla mused.

 

"What time's he going to be there?"

 

"Well, he cancelled his 6pm appointment with Dave on Friday, so I'd say it'd be sometime around then. Why, what are you thinking?" Layla asked, seeing the expression on Warren's face.

 

"The Plantation's not far from The Paper Lantern. I can go there after work, get in the kitchen, and find out where he is from there. The Mayor doesn't know who I am, so he won't recognise me."

 

"Hasn't he seen you at work functions with your mother? Does she have pictures of you on her desk?" Layla asked, trying to remember that for herself.

 

Warren fixed her with a pointed expression. "Do I look like the sort of person to go to work functions, or have photos taken?"

 

"Okay, fair point. I kind of want to take a photo of you now," she said, grinning.

 

"Not happening, hippie," Warren muttered, pressing the button for their upcoming stop.

 

"Not even one photo?" Layla asked.

 

"No."

 

Layla sighed and stood up as the bus came to a stop. "Fine, but one day you'll have to change your mind, y'know."

 

They both thanked the driver as they got off the bus and started walking down to the Peace residence.

 

"Why will I **have** to?" Warren asked, Layla's bag slung over his shoulder.

 

"Because if our plans actually work out, then our faces will be plastered on every paper and screen possible."

 

Warren stopped on the sidewalk, glowering at a few weeds between the cracks.

 

"Warren? What's wrong? It's not _that_ bad about the photos, is it?" Layla asked, taking his hand.

 

He was hot to touch, and Layla's fire tattoo spun wildly, slowly easing her pain.

 

"What do you mean by **_if?_** " Warren growled, pulling her close to kiss, his mouth scorching and burning her lips. " ** _When_** our plans work, then they can put our photo wherever they like."

 

Layla grinned against his mouth, her lips chapped and splitting. " _When_ our plans work, then I'll get a photo of you too, deal?"

 

"What, are you going to put it on your desk in our evil villain lair?" Warren asked, rolling his eyes.

 

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do," Layla replied sarcastically.

 

Warren shook his head, then cupped her cheek with his gloved hand, his thumb brushing against her dry and bloodied lips, retrieving the burn from her carefully. It didn't heal Layla's lips entirely, still bloodied from her smile, but they were no longer dry and chapped.

 

"Deal."

 

...

 

Wendy and Paul were still the reigning champions of Save the Citizen. From the stands, Layla noticed Adam stand up half a second before his name was called out, and Ethan grinned over at her when he saw her puzzled reaction. Craig stood up a moment later after his name was called, waving and blowing kisses to the students around him. More than one person rolled their eyes at his antics, but Layla was curious as to what they might have planned without her knowing.

 

"Don't worry, Layla. They've got a plan," Zach said, winking.

 

"And was I going to be involved in this plan anytime soon?"

 

"Nah, this is only small stuff. Craig just wanted to show off, mostly."

 

"Small plans can lead to bigger plans. I'd like to know next time," Layla replied.

 

Zach and Ethan both nodded, then they all turned their attention back to the game.

 

Warren had decided to skip today's Save the Citizen in favour of finishing his Mad Science assignment, and was in the study hall working. Layla wondered if she should call him in, test the link between their brands to see if it would actually work. She subtly moved the various bracelets around her wrist to press against the fire brand, thinking of Warren, and trying to link to her own vine brand on his wrist. Layla could feel tendrils of her power at the edge of her mind, still a little fuzzy, but there nonetheless. She didn't know if thoughts would work or just general feelings, and tried to keep calm, but indicate that he should join her in the gym. There was a brief flare of emotion, some part annoyed, another part intrigued, and Layla retreated again.

 

Barely two minutes passed - the two teams had changed into their padded gear and discussed their strategies - and Warren came into the gym, sitting beside Layla with his essay in his hand.

 

"What's going on?"

 

"Adam and Craig have organised something with Wendy. How's your assignment going?" she queried.

 

"Well, I was working on it before I got your call," he said, tugging at the cuff around his wrist. "I was hoping to finish it instead of coming here, y'know, hippie."

 

"Yes, I know. You can finish after this game," Layla promised, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

 

Warren tucked his assignment back into his bag and watched as Wendy advanced on Craig and Adam, a cloud gathering above their heads. Craig shifted, changing his body to that of Wendy's. Paul continued forward, obviously knowing that Craig wasn't Wendy since he hadn't even tried to hide his shift. Craig just grinned and splayed his hand above him. There was a moment of silence and then two things happened in a quick succession: a bright flash of white lightning and a resounding boom of thunder.

 

The crowd went silent when they realised that Wendy hadn't been the one to set off the bolt of lightning, and that the bolt had hit a mere metre away from _Paul_ , not Craig or Adam.

 

"Oh my god," Layla said, burying her head into Warren's shoulder to hide her laughter.

 

Beside her, Warren couldn't help grinning himself. This was a _fantastic_ development. He couldn't help but imagine everything that Craig would be able to do, and he was _on their side_.

 

In the small arena, the fight continued. Craig had shifted from Wendy to Adam's form and they were both using his acid spit. Craig hadn't practiced as Adam had and could only spit; his aim still wasn't the best, but he managed to get Wendy to back up a few steps. Adam was throwing balls of his acid straight at Paul, whose water power was useless against the toxic acid. After a few balls of spit, Craig shifted from Adam's form to Layla's.

 

Layla straightened up immediately, curious to see what he'd do against Wendy in her form. Beside her, Warren realised that while Craig could shift and use the person's power, it was only a brief burst of power and he couldn't use it for an infinite amount of time as the original super could. _They'd definitely have to work on that_.

 

When Adam was preoccupied with Paul and Craig was still shifting from one form to another, Wendy started forward, a fierce wind starting to blow her opponents back.

 

"Paul! The citizen!" she snapped at him, keeping Adam and Craig pressed up against the wall.

 

In the stands above them, Coach Boomer was holding onto his hat as the wind whipped at him.

 

Paul looked between Wendy and the other two, then darted off towards the citizen.

 

Craig grew a large fern in front of him, the large leaves blocking the wind. As soon as he could breathe, he shifted again, the fern disappearing immediately. Coach Boomer was revealed and he let out a sonic blast, Wendy collapsing back to the ground. Adam had been gathering a ball of acid in his hand while they were against the wall. He immediately turned and threw it at Paul, who was unaware of what was happening behind him.

 

Paul was only a metre away from the citizen. There were still ten seconds left on the clock and he could save the citizen, he _knew_ he could. In the stands, the student population started to count down eagerly. Then the ball of acid hit Paul, knocking him forward and eating at his clothes. As he fell over, less than a metre from the citizen, Paul heard it being crunched up by the metal teeth and the buzzer sounded loudly.

 

"Villains win!" Boomer called.

 

"We need to work on Craig's stamina; he couldn't keep anyone's form for very long," Warren murmured to Layla as the students clapped around them.

 

Layla blinked at the realisation. "You're right. I didn't even consider that; I thought he was just switching to show off."

 

Warren grinned, glad that he'd seen something that Layla hadn't. "I'm going to work on my essay now; let me know if I should watch any others," he said, pressing a kiss to her lips briefly before taking his essay out of his bag to continue working on it.

 

"Ethan's recording the rest of the fights; we'll watch them together later. You might see something else I've missed," Layla said with a grin.

 

Warren nodded and started writing.

 

...

 

Layla changed out of her PE clothes and back into her usual school clothes for the day. She didn't bother using her Sidekick speed to change, taking the extra time to think over the fights she'd seen. She had concentrated on Craig's form in the second and third fights, and saw that Warren was right in his inability to hold anyone's form for very long. By the time the third fight was over, he was relying more and more on Adam to win.

 

Adam had held back, limiting his acid only to spit or hands, despite their group all knowing that every pore in his body could leak with acid. It was a smart move, and when their time came to reveal themselves properly, it would be something that the heroes wouldn't expect.

 

A loud buzzing sound interrupted Layla's thoughts and she stepped out of the stall to find the source of the noise, thinking it was a bee or wasp trapped in the bathroom. She stayed quiet, listening intently. She knew how sensitive animals were to noise, and talking would probably just scare the poor thing. The buzzing noise sounded again and Layla moved over to the basins, frowning when she realised she couldn't see any creatures. The buzzing became louder still and Layla pressed her fingertips to the wall where the noise was coming from. She could feel a faint vibration under her fingers and she pulled away sharply.

 

Wendy was right: there was a listening bug in the bathroom.

 

Layla stepped back, hand clasped over her mouth to muffle any sound of surprise. She desperately tried to think of what she might have said or done in the bathrooms since returning from Homecoming. She hadn't talked about her plans with anyone; definitely not in the girl's bathroom, at least. Layla was ninety-nine percent sure that her plans were safe. She'd just have to take extra care when using the bathroom in the future.

 

Making a show of flushing the toilet and washing her hands, Layla slipped her bag on and left the bathroom. She wondered where else the listening devices had been planted.

 

...

 

"This camera is brand new, so if you break it, I will hurt you," Ethan said fiercely.

 

Warren took a moment to bite back his usual sarcastic and cynical response, knowing Ethan would probably take the camera back if he did. "I'll be careful, Popsicle."

 

Ethan looked surprised at Warren's response, but nodded. "Thanks. Good luck, Warren."

 

"Thanks."

 

He didn't want to look suspicious before he even arrived at his destination, so Warren slipped the camera back into its bag and put that in his own messenger bag. He had to run for the bus, and sat at the back to calm his nerves and catch his breath.

 

 _If he was caught over this_...

 

Warren pushed the thought away fiercely. He _wouldn't_ be caught. He would get the pictures, they could blackmail the Mayor, and no matter what happened, Warren promised himself that he would _never_ end up sitting in a cell next to his father.

 

Getting off the bus at the stop closer to the Paper Lantern, Warren continued past his workplace and to the hotel two blocks away. There was a bus stop closer to the hotel, but if the Mayor decided to investigate his blackmailers, Warren didn't want to make it so easy for him. Going to the back of the hotel was easy enough, and since he was wearing his usual work uniform, Warren was able to get in to the kitchen easily enough. Layla had sent him a text with the Mayor's room number - room 29 - and the time the Mayor was meant to arrive at the hotel.

 

Warren waited until the front desk received a phone call to slip past the concierge to find room 32, which was on the floor directly above 29. Holding his breath, Warren grabbed the key as quietly as humanly possible, clutching it in his palm. The concierge was so preoccupied with their phone call that they didn't even notice Warren. He headed back to the kitchen where the service elevators were, going up to the third floor without being seen or stopped. He wondered if Layla or Honey had called the concierge.

 

Sliding the key into the lock, Warren turned the key with a small squeak. He looked down the hallway, sure that the noise had been heard, but no one jumped out of the shadows to arrest him. Warren forced himself to breathe, to concentrate, and walked into the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he saw that he was alone and again, no one was waiting in the shadows, Warren moved the bed away from the wall. Several dust mites swirled in the sudden breeze and he winced, wondering when the last time the hotel had been cleaned properly. It was obvious the Mayor wasn't using the hotel to visit important shareholders, or whatever his excuse had been.

 

Warren set his bag aside and then powered up, keeping the temperature controlled and even across his palms. When he was sure the flames were hot enough, Warren pressed a hand to the dirty carpet, a hole starting to burrow its way into the floor. The carpet had a perfect circle in it within moments, and the thin insulation layer soon followed suit. The concrete below that took longer concentration and an even hotter temperature, the flames around his hand turning blue with intense heat.

 

Concrete couldn't actually melt, only change its form, so Warren had to stop every few minutes to brush away the rubble, sand, and bits of gravel that remained in the hole he was making. This hole was smaller than the one above it, as he didn't want a huge hole appearing in the ceiling right above the bed, especially if the Mayor was using it.

 

Blowing away the dirt and rubble carefully, Warren saw a pinprick of light shine through from the hole and immediately went still. He listened intently, hoping he hadn't alerted the Mayor or his mistress to his presence. There were no sounds of surprise, no screams, no sudden scrambling to get off the bed, so Warren continued to make the hole bigger again. When the hole was finally large enough for Ethan's camera to see through it easily - still blurry on the edges, but the bed could be seen below - Warren set it down and waited.

 

Layla had booked the room for 5pm and it was nearing on that time now. Warren hoped that the Mayor would be punctual; he still had to get to work and Mrs. Woo wouldn't exactly be forgiving if he arrived late because he was planning on blackmailing the Mayor.

 

At 4:59pm exactly, the key opened the door to the hotel room below. From there, it didn't take long for the Mayor and his mistress to move to the bed. Warren winced at the sight and moans he could hear, but he ensured to take as many incriminating photos as he could before he had to leave, focusing on both the Mayor and his mistress in turn. There was no way he was letting this opportunity go to waste by not showing both people very clearly. If anyone could argue about the validity of the subjects in the photos, then this whole thing would be pointless. When he was satisfied with the pictures, Warren fiddled with the camera to turn over it to video, trying to keep his breathing shallow so it wouldn't be picked up by the camera as well. Warren stopped the video when he was certain that it would be more than enough to blackmail the Mayor.

 

Taking the camera from the hole he'd created, Warren plugged the hole with a hotel hand washer, then turned the camera off and carefully put it in his bag. He left the room the same way he'd come, heading downstairs quietly and quickly. There was a key return box on the side of the concierge desk, so Warren slipped the key into there and headed out via the staff entrance at the back of the hotel.

 

Checking the time on his watch, Warren saw that he only had fifteen minutes before his shift started. He continued to walk normally until he was closer to the Paper Lantern than the Plantation and then started to jog over to his work, holding his bag - and the camera - by his side. He arrived to work with two minutes to spare, both Kim and Mrs. Woo in the kitchen already. Warren waved to both of them, heading to the lockers before either could berate or engage him in conversation. He tied his hair back, no longer obscuring his face, donned his apron, and sent off a quick text to Layla: _All done. At work now_.

 

 

He knew that Layla wouldn't see the message until her break later in the evening, but Warren felt a surge of relief flow through him nonetheless. They were _finally_ getting somewhere with their plans.

 

...

 

End of the forty-second chapter.


	43. Chapter 43

Ever since receiving Warren's message, Layla hadn't been able to stop smiling. Dave seemed surprised at her expression, especially considering she usually came downstairs looking tired, not _chirpy_.

 

"Hi Dave! How's your evening going?" Layla asked.

 

"Quiet, as per usual. Why are you looking so happy?" Dave asked curiously, looking away from the security screens.

 

Layla blinked at the unexpected question. "Uh... It's my anniversary with Warren. We're going out for dinner."

 

"Oh, that's nice. Where are you going?" Dave asked.

 

"It's a surprise," Layla said.

 

Behind her, Warren opened the door and walked in, giving Dave a brief wave. Layla smiled and kissed Warren firmly, stilling any conversation he might've made with the security guard.

 

"We'd better go so we don't miss our reservation. Have a nice night, Dave. See you on Monday," Layla said, practically pulling Warren back outside.

 

"Happy anniversary!" Dave called after them.

 

"We have an anniversary? Is it actually our anniversary?" Warren asked, frowning.

 

"It is now. I couldn't stop smiling, so I told Dave we're going out for an anniversary dinner."

 

"Good thinking. Where are we heading?"

 

"Frieda has very kindly agreed to let me stay with you tonight. I think she's working with Ms. Martin on the adoption stuff tonight and wanted to protect me from the memory of Greta."

 

"Huh. I think I can help with that," Warren said with a broad grin, pressing a hot kiss to her lips.

 

The bus pulled up even though neither of them had waved it down. Layla made herself pull away from Warren's addicting mouth and stepped into the bus, tugging Warren along with her.

 

"Thanks for stopping," Warren said as he and Layla went to their usual seat at the back.

 

The driver nodded and drove out onto the road once more.

 

"Can I see the video now?" Layla asked eagerly.

 

"Really, hippie? You can't be patient for another fifteen minutes until we're off public transport with witnesses and the bus camera?" Warren asked, his voice low as he pressed a kiss to her neck.

 

"Damn."

 

"Mmhm," Warren murmured distractedly, his lips burning against her skin.

 

"You can be patient too, Warren," Layla said, tugging his hand away from her shoulder.

 

"Distracting you."

 

Layla snorted a disbelieving laugh and pushed Warren away. "Behave or I'll tie you there."

 

"Promises, promises," Warren teased, grinning.

 

Layla bit her lip, eyes darkening, and even without the pulse of desire from his wrist, Warren knew exactly what she was thinking. Warren returned his own rush of desire back to Layla, feeling something in his chest uncoil in pleasure at the soft gasp she gave, the blush high on her cheeks. Warren was amazed that someone as brilliant as Layla was with him, that he could make her look lustful and desired and cherished, and he wanted to keep that look for himself, greedy and awed at the same time.

 

"Later. We are definitely doing that later," Layla murmured breathlessly, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

 

Warren grinned and took Layla's hand in his own, threading their fingers together as he watched for their upcoming stop.

 

...

 

Warren made sure his mother was asleep before presenting the camera to Layla. He wanted to stay with Layla to watch her reaction, but he needed a shower more. Besides, the sound of the water would cover any noises Layla might make.

 

"I'm going to have a shower. Back soon," Warren said, kissing Layla's cheek on the way to the bathroom.

 

Waiting until the bedroom door was closed behind him, Layla tugged her shoes off and sat on Warren's bed, her legs curled up beneath her. She looked at the video screen, the play button sitting there so innocently, and wondered if _this_ was a pivotal moment in her life. After everything they'd started, was this the moment, the point of no return?

 

 _Fuck, I hope so_ , Layla thought, grinning as she pressed play.

 

She watched the video with some amazement and disgust - amazement for Warren's foresight in focusing on both the Mayor and his mistress' face, and disgust because that was her _boss naked_ \- and then watched it another two times before Warren returned from his shower.

 

"What did you think?" Warren asked once the door was closed.

 

Layla took a moment to watch as the damp patches on Warren's shirt disappeared, his higher body temperature making the water dissipate easily.

 

"My eyes are up here, hippie," Warren said, rolling his eyes.

 

Layla grinned and practically launched herself off the bed to kiss him. "You. Are. Amazing," she said between kisses. "Have you emailed it yet?"

 

"Yeah, the camera has a share option; I sent it to Ethan and Honey on my break," Warren murmured, his lips against hers.

 

"Not me?"

 

"While you're in the same building as the Mayor?" he replied pointedly.

 

"Right," Layla said, realising the issue with a wince.

 

Nina had told her that the IT department had access to everyone's emails (including personal ones, if people accessed them at their workstations or even when using the WiFi), so she had no doubt that they'd do regular checks for something against the Mayor. Dave would probably have work to do then, namely escorting her out of the building.

 

"You going to bed, hippie?" Warren asked, heading over to his bed.

 

"Just going to get changed first," Layla replied, grabbing her bag to go to the bathroom.

 

"Stay."

 

Layla looked at Warren in confusion.

 

"You don't have to leave to get changed. I'm not going to attack you or something."

 

"I was planning on brushing my teeth, actually."

 

Warren shook his head and moved to lie down on the mattress. Layla grinned and unzipped her bag, the sound loud in the room. Warren looked over at her, watching intently as Layla stripped off her shirt and undid her bra, pulling it off with a small groan of relief. She pulled her pyjama shirt on, then took off her skirt and pulled on a pair of small shorts. Anything more and she'd overheat with Warren beside her.

 

"Hurry back, hippie," Warren said, voice rough.

 

Layla was tempted to cross the room to kiss him, but she doubted she'd ever get to the bathroom that night if she did that. Grabbing her toothbrush, she headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth as fast as humanly and hygienically possible.

 

As soon as she was on the bed, Warren pulled her close, tucking his arm under her breasts and spooning up against her.

 

"G'night Warren," Layla murmured, turning her head to kiss him.

 

Warren returned her kiss heatedly, the pleasure starting to turn painful as he didn't pull away and his lips and hands burned. Layla felt the swirl of emotion, heat coiling in her stomach, a gasp leaving her lips as Warren pulled away. She felt like she was sunburnt, her cheeks red and stinging, but for once, it was a sensation she didn't mind.

 

"Night, hippie."

 

...

 

"So, what are you guys doing?" Zach asked, grinning at them.

 

"For what?" Layla asked distractedly, finally looking away from her textbook. She had a quiz that afternoon and was worried that she hadn't studied enough to pass.

 

"Valentine's Day. Did you not hear anything I just said?" Zach asked.

 

"No, I was too focused on this. Have to work on that," Layla muttered.

 

"Zach and I are going to the movies and dinner. Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day?" Ethan asked.

 

"I don't think so. What day is it this year?" Layla asked.

 

"Friday," Ethan replied.

 

"We're both working that night, so I doubt we'll do anything," Layla said, shrugging.

 

"But it's Valentine's Day."

 

"Valentine's Day started with Valentine's execution after he performed marriages for soldiers. Chaucer encouraged the tradition of exchanging sentiments between lovers, which has since devolved into nothing but a commercialised holiday designed to sell ridiculously overpriced cards and expensive chocolate, which is probably encouraging the country's obesity and diabetes levels."

 

"Aw, Eth, some guy got killed just so we can make out at the movies," Zach said, snickering when Layla rolled her eyes at them.

 

"What are you guys going on about?" Warren asked, irritable about his class running late and his lunch being delayed.

 

"We're discussing Valentine's Day. Zach detailed our plans, Layla went on a rant about Valentine and Chaucer. Anything to add to the conversation?" Ethan asked brightly, grinning.

 

"It's a stupid holiday and it shouldn't have any extra significance in a relationship than any other day of the year," Warren said.

 

"Aw, come on. Not even for candy hearts with the messages on them?" Zach said.

 

"Hell no."

 

"I think you're both just being sour about this because you're both working and can't go on a date," Zach said. "Donny, what are you and Wendy doing for Valentine's Day?"

 

Donny choked on his drink, spluttering. "Uh..."

 

"I'd like to know that too. What _are_ we doing, Donny?" Wendy asked pointedly, the air around them dropping a few degrees.

 

"Did I say something wrong?" Zach asked Ethan, frowning.

 

"Either Donny hasn't asked Wendy out, or Wendy's pissed at whatever idea he did think of. Which is weird, since he's a mind reader. Why can't he just do whatever Wendy's thinking?"

 

"A horse-drawn carriage ride is not _possible_ in Maxville, okay?!" Donny said.

 

"I never said it had to be in Maxville," Wendy snapped.

 

"You mean in _Westville?_ "

 

"On Valentine's Day? Do you _want_ to be mugged?" Zach asked, paling and going quiet when Wendy glared at him.

 

"I'll know if someone's going to try to mug us," Donny said, sighing.

 

"Good luck," Zach muttered from the side of his mouth, trying not to draw Wendy's glare again.

 

Wendy looked ready to say something, but then Donny straightened up, his head turning as he watched Will and Magenta walk out of the cafeteria.

 

"Donny? What's wrong?" Wendy asked, frowning.

 

"It seems Will has a super suit."

 

"What? But... We're not meant to get them until senior year!" Zach spluttered, staring in surprise.

 

"School ones, yeah, but if they're gifted by parents or relatives, then you're allowed to use those instead," Wendy replied.

 

"Will's birthday isn't until next month, and I'm positive he's not fighting alongside his parents, so why does he have a super suit now?" Layla murmured.

 

Donny rolled his eyes. "Apparently, he got a B- in Mad Science and the suit was a gift."

 

This time it was Ethan's turn to splutter and stare. He muttered something obscene under his breath and under his hands, his tray melted into a puddle of water.

 

...

 

Now that they had the video of the Mayor and his mistress, it would be easy enough to blackmail him by sending the video from an untraceable account Adam had set up. They planned on threatening for him for a set amount of money or else the video would be released to all major news stations in Maxville... And maybe Westville too.

 

The group had spent their Sunday morning at the Hive, arguing over how much to ask for and then arguing over what to actually spend the money on.

 

Warren had eventually snapped. "We're meant to be doing this _properly_ , not be like the other villains who get caught because they can't make a fucking decision! If you don't agree on something in the next thirty seconds, I'm going to set you all the fuck alight!"

 

His arms had lit up and his shirt had gone up in flames instead, Warren cursing and reducing the flames, but it was too late to salvage his shirt.

 

"Suits," Ethan said, looking to the others.

 

"What are you going on about, Popsicle?" Warren muttered, picking off pieces of charred material from his arms.

 

"Our super suits. We can spend the money on that," Ethan said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "There's a site that will deliver fabric anonymously for a certain price." He saw the expressions the others gave him. "Zach was talking about the fabrics and I sort of... stumbled onto the site."

 

"You _stumbled_ onto a fabric black market site?" Adam asked.

 

"I'm more concerned that there's actually a black market for fabric," Craig said, sounding both amused and concerned.

 

"Ever since the Spinner Sisters were arrested, fabrics for supers have been restricted to wholesale for companies and school institutions only, and not even black markets will sell them to individuals. It means we'd have to create a business to buy the material, but we'd have enough surplus for spares," Ethan said.

 

"That's actually a really good idea, my own bias aside," Zach said, grinning and winking at Ethan. "I'd like to get surplus of the material to see how the fabrics can be used; Kevlar's stiffer than some materials, so I want to create an outfit with that on the breastplate and arm sections instead of the full outfit. I need to test which fabrics will still allow me to do my thing."

 

"So we're agreed on fabrics for our suits?" Adam asked, looking between them and receiving nods in return. "All right, Warren: that's your answer. What the hell are you wearing?"

 

"I don't have a spare shirt, fuck off," Warren said, glowering and folding his arms over Layla's spare gym shirt.

 

"I didn't mind," Wendy said, smirking.

 

Layla rolled her eyes. "All right, we're agreed to blackmail the Mayor for money for our super suits. How much will it cost, Ethan?"

 

"The cost of delivery, the rolls of the three fabrics, as well as the anonymous transaction fee amounts to... $51,000," Ethan worked out, thinking back over the site and prices he'd seen.

 

" _What the fuck?_ "

 

"Seriously, Ethan? Is that right?" Layla asked, echoing Wendy's outburst.

 

Ethan shrugged. "These fibres don't grow on trees, and they're the kinds used in military and aviation. Besides all that, the fee isn't exactly cheap."

 

"Fuck," Warren breathed.

 

"Well, I get why the school fees are sky high now," Craig said, shaking his head.

 

"We'll need $60,000," Donny said abruptly, but refused to say more.

 

"We're not going to blackmail the Mayor for $60,000. His sports car cost more than that," Adam pointed out. "How about $100,000? He can get that from his sponsors, right?"

 

"He's got the Commander and Jetstream on his side; people would pay to keep them in his pocket," Ethan agreed.

 

"All right, so how are we going to actually play this out?" Wendy asked, looking between them.

 

...

 

Layla had her speech memorised, an innocent and confused expression ready, and now that the office was practically empty, she was going to put their plan into action. She smoothed out her outfit and then knocked on the Mayor's office door. It had been closed ever since she arrived at work, which was slightly odd, but she hadn't thought much of it. No one had said that the Mayor had gone home, and she'd heard his voice from her desk, so she figured he was taking some time to answer the emails she'd sent him the week before and talking to himself. It was a regular occurrence.

 

"What is it?"

 

Figuring that was invitation enough, Layla opened the door. In that instant she discovered that the Mayor was _not_ alone and he was definitely _not_ talking to himself. All thoughts of the plan fled from her mind and she smiled awkwardly at the agents from the Super Bureau.

 

"I have some paperwork for you to sign, Mr. Mayor," Layla said, grabbing a random file off the edge of her desk to hold it out.

 

"It can wait," he replied impatiently. "We're dealing with something more important than paperwork. Someone's trying to _blackmail_ me, and these gentlemen - uh, gentlepeople - are going to find them."

 

"Blackmail you, sir?" she asked, surprised.

 

_Had they accidentally sent the video to the Mayor instead of her?_

 

"They called Dave this afternoon at 4pm, stating they had an appointment with me," the Mayor scoffed.

 

Layla remembered the blackmailer that had called almost two weeks ago and wanted to laugh hysterically.

 

"Don't worry, we'll get them, Miss," one of the agents said, nodding firmly. They'd obviously mistaken her expression for a vague sort of horror on behalf of her boss.

 

"Great. Uh, I'll leave you to it," Layla said, backing out and closing the door behind her firmly.

 

Layla was on her break when the agents from the Super Bureau left with the Mayor a step in front of them. From the staff kitchen, she watched as they left, and tried not to glare at them on the way out, knowing that Dave would probably be watching the cameras. This was his moment of shining glory, and he wouldn't miss a second of it.

 

_Fuck._

 

...

 

Warren arrived early to hear Dave's account of the whole thing, and was surprised to hear about the call at 4pm and arrival of the Super Bureau agents. Dave was so proud about having made the call to the Super Bureau himself that he didn't even notice Warren's expression, and he continued talking about the whole affair excitedly.

 

"Hi Dave, mind if I steal Warren so we can go? Our bus will be arriving soon," Layla said, giving him an apologetic smile.

 

"Oh, right, of course. Have a good night," Dave said with a nod.

 

Warren nodded back at him and left with Layla beside him. "The others are at the Hive waiting for the news. We've arranged to go to Frieda's afterwards," Warren said, his voice wooden.

 

"I couldn't believe it when I saw them sitting there. Remember that idiot I told you about a while ago, he emailed a video from his personal address?"

 

"What about him?"

 

"He was the one who sent the email this afternoon," Layla said, a tree behind them losing its leaves in a burst of anger.

 

" _Fuck._ "

 

The bus slowed to a stop beside them, the driver blinking in confusion when he saw heat waves shimmering off Warren. "Are you all right, kid?"

 

"Fine," Warren said, forcing himself to calm down slowly. He didn't dare hold onto any of the poles or rails on the bus, knowing he'd break or melt them completely.

 

As his passengers took their usual seat, the driver looked out to the tree by the bus stop, the poor thing completely bare of leaves. Winter was sure coming early this year.

 

...

 

"You couldn't have told us this was going to happen?" Layla asked Honey, close to snapping and losing her own temper over the whole thing.

 

"You have to make your own mistakes; I can't tell you every little thing," Honey replied, calm and annoyingly certain. "Besides, there was still a high chance that the man wouldn't have sent the video anyway. Yours would have arrived and been investigated in its place. Adam is quite good with computers; the IP address wouldn't have been found for at least two weeks. On the other hand, this man has already been discovered."

 

"Two weeks? Damn, I'll have to rework the code. I was hoping for three at a minimum," Adam muttered. "I would've bounced it when they came looking," he added when Warren scowled at him.

 

"Thanks to various energy drinks and threats of termination, they would have made three fit in two. Termination in the Super Bureau is very different to the rest of the world," Honey said. "Adam, I'll send you the name of someone who can help you. They owe me a favour, amongst other things."

 

"Ooh, who is it?"

 

"You'll find out when I send you the email, you can be patient until then. When you're certain you can send something without being discovered, _then_ you can send the email."

 

"Damn, Honey. How long will that take?" Adam asked, groaning.

 

"If Ethan does your assignments, less than two months. Four months if you do them."

 

Adam immediately turned to Ethan, who thought about it intently for a moment. "Thirty bucks per assignment."

 

"What? C'mon, man! Help me out," Adam groaned.

 

"Fifteen."

 

" _That's helping?_ "

 

"That's half-price."

 

"Shit. How many assignments do we have for the next two months?" Adam asked, looking over to Craig.

 

"Not including pop quizzes or exams, we're scheduled to have four assignments," Craig replied.

 

"Fine. I'll pay you per assignment."

 

"Good. I'll tutor you for free; you'll probably need it for the pop quizzes and exams. Honey, do you know when the pop quizzes will occur?" Ethan asked, looking at her.

 

"There's a reason they're called _pop quizzes_ , y'know: teachers generally _don't_ think of them ahead of time. They're done on a whim, and that can vary between emotions and hours, let alone over two months."

 

"Principal Powers doesn't actually like the teachers giving out pop quizzes; she thinks they cause too much stress. She'd stop them if she had enough evidence from different students," Donny pointed out.

 

Craig cackled and bowed with a mocking flourish. "Allow me to be of assistance."

 

...

 

"Wow, your mother really wasn't kidding about framing your articles," Zach said, though he wasn't exactly surprised.

 

"I think she's just framing the first ten; the rest are going in a scrapbook," Ethan said.

 

**_Pop quiz fizzle! Principal Powers says no more pop quizzes!_ **

 

"How are you going with the extra assignments?"

 

"Not too bad; I've read over all of Adam's previous assignments, so I should be able to mimic his writing style while he does his extra curricular activity."

 

"Welcome home, boys. Have a good day at school?" Anita called from the kitchen.

 

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Damsale. Ethan learnt all of the knots in Practical Skills for Hero Support, and I managed to untie two of them without assistance," Zach called back brightly as they headed to the kitchen.

 

"You untied your _shoelaces_ , Zach. We're going to work on that later," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.

 

"Ooh, kinky."

 

Anita didn't know why her son was blushing, but on seeing Zach's expression, she found that didn't want to know why after all. "Do you have time to peel vegetables for dinner?" she asked, nodding to the carrots, halved pumpkin, and potatoes she had sitting on the kitchen bench.

 

Heidi was sitting across from her, watching everything curiously and reading the recipe book that was propped up beside her.

 

"I do, Mrs. Damsale. Ethan's got some studying to do. Heidi can help me," Zach said, signing to say hello to his sister.

 

"You don't have to study as well?" Anita asked, trying not to sound surprised.

 

"Well, I'm not on the newspaper, y'see, so... I should've said _research_ , that would've made more sense! Huh, I guess I'm learning something from my Communications for Hero Support class, after all!" Zach said brightly.

 

"Better get to my research," Ethan said, pressing a kiss to his mother's cheek before darting upstairs to his room.

 

Zach got his sister's attention. "Want to see who can peel a potato fastest?" he asked, grinning and holding out a peeler.

 

Heidi snatched the peeler and a potato before Zach even had time to recover.

____

 

____

"Don't hurt yourselves; I don't want blood in my meal," Anita said sternly.

____

 

____

"Yes, Mrs. Damsale," Zach said, nudging his sister so she'd slow down.

____

 

____

"I'm sure I've told you to call me Anita."

____

 

____

Zach glowed, the light reflecting off the bench top. "All right, Anita."

____

 

____

Anita smiled and turned back to the stove.

____

 

____

...

____

 

____

"You know how I mentioned using Sky High's extra curricular program as a way to do training?" Ethan asked, looking between Wendy and Layla.

____

 

____

"What about it?" Layla asked, Wendy nodding beside her.

____

 

____

"Well, an application form was sent to the school paper to be included since they haven't had many organisations or clubs since Royal Pain and... I applied," Ethan said.

____

 

____

"What was in the application?" Layla asked.

____

 

____

"I've requested use of the gym, Nurse Spex as a teacher, and stated it was to practice for Save the Citizen to encourage Heroes and Hero Support to work together."

____

 

____

"It's probably good that it's coming from you instead of us; Principal Powers knows I was friends with Gwen, and I still don't think she trusts Layla," Wendy said, taking a drink of water.

____

 

____

"Why wouldn't she trust me?" Layla asked innocently, batting her eyelashes.

____

 

____

Wendy laughed, almost choking on her water.

____

 

____

" _Ethan Damsale to the Principal's office. _"__

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"What else did you write on that application, Ethan?" Layla asked as he stood up, several people looking in his direction.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"Nothing," Ethan said with a frown.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"I'll come with you for emotional support," Zach said, standing and grabbing the last of his lunch to shove in his mouth.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"Thanks."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"What's going on with Ethan?" Craig asked, squeezing in to sit between Adam and Donny.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

Donny elbowed him in the ribs. "We'll find out later."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"You can't read Principal Powers' mind?" Craig asked, biting into an apple and grinning at him with a mouth full of food.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"She had her wall rebuilt with power suppressor beams. I could do it if her door was open, or if I was standing next to her, but not from here."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"Power suppressor beams, really?" Warren asked curiously, looking over to the cafeteria wall as if he could see through to Principal Powers' office.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

...

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"I'm pleased that you've submitted an application, Ethan," Principal Powers said, smiling at him.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"Thank you, ma'am."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"I'm just curious as to why you've made it an _open_ application; surely you would want something like this for only certain people?" she asked.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

Ethan desperately wished he could melt. He'd already tried twice, but nothing had happened. The feeling settled like rocks in his stomach. "Oh no, not at all, ma'am. I'm trying to meet as many people as possible, as my mother says you never know where they might end up in life, and this club is a great way to meet new people. If enough Heroes join, then I might be lucky and they'll request me as their Hero Support."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"You're not planning on being the side- excuse me, Hero Support, for one of your friends? Layla, for instance?"

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"She hasn't asked me to be her Hero Support," Ethan said truthfully.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

Principal Powers looked at Ethan for a long moment, and eventually dropped her gaze from the terrified young man's face. "Very well. You have your approval to use the gym after school hours. However, Nurse Spex has already been requested by another group, so she will only be available two days a week. The other three you can have either Mr. Boy or Mr. Medulla," she said, pen poised above Ethan's application.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

Ethan thought about it for a quick moment; Mr. Boy was far too good and would probably try to help, whereas Mr. Medulla might be convinced to work in his lab instead of watching them. "Mr. Medulla, please. Thank you, Principal Powers," Ethan said as she signed the form and approved the extra curricular club.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"You're a bright young man, Ethan, and I look forward to seeing where you end up in life," she said, handing over the freshly-signed form.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"Thank you, ma'am," he chirped, leaving her office as soon as possible.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

Zach sat up in the chairs outside Principal Power's office, eyes wide as he looked at Ethan who was trembling a little. "You all right, Eth?"

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

Ethan nodded, then handed Zach the form and promptly melted. He reformed a second later, hands pressing to his body to make sure he was still all there, sighing in relief. Zach tilted his head curiously but didn't ask. Ethan grabbed Zach's hand and they headed down the corridor together. "It was _awful_ ; I couldn't melt," he said with a shudder.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"That's weird; I could glow outside of her office," Zach mused. "But nothing's wrong, right? Powers signed off on the club?"

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"Yes. We've got access to the gym five days a week; Nurse Spex for two of those days, and Mr. Medulla for the other three."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"Medulla?"

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"It was either him or Mr. Boy! Good afternoon, how are you?" Ethan said, smiling as their teacher passed by, drinking from his oversized cup and straw.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

Mr. Boy nodded in response, mouth full, and they all continued along their way.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"So we've got the form, got the gym, does that mean we can start this afternoon?"

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"You can, I've got the school paper tonight. If I can get out of there early, I'll go straight to the gym."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

"Sounds like a plan," Zach said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Let's go tell the others."

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

...

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

End of the forty-third chapter.

______ _ _


	44. Chapter 44

"I've got an idea," Layla said that night, curled up with Warren beside her.

 

"Do I get to know the details this time?" Warren asked, grinning slightly.

 

"Yes. I'm not sure it will work; it depends on the others just as much as you."

 

"Me?" Warren said, sitting up straighter. He tugged Layla up until she was sitting upright as well. "Info, hippie."

 

"You know how I said I plan to whittle away at Magenta until she's useless?"

 

Warren nodded, waiting for her to continue.

 

"Well, I think slowly destroying her relationship with Will would help with that. As tough as she looks, Magenta's actually very insecure," Layla mused, shaking her head.

 

"Why _slowly_ destroying it? Why not just destroy it once and for all?"

 

"Because I want her to suffer, just as much as Will. I want them to become dependent on each other until they have no one else left, and then, when they finally do break apart, there'll be no one to save them at the end."

 

"That'll be hard with Will and his parents. Magenta's family, too," Warren pointed out.

 

"I know, that's why it has to be slow. Doing it fast would bring them supporters and sympathisers, and they'll probably come out more popular and celebrated than ever before. Slow and steady, however, we can bring them down piece by piece until there's nothing left."

 

"All right. How?" Warren asked.

 

"Magenta and Will's relationship is formed on them cheating and deceiving others so they can be together. If we can increase those feelings of distrust, adding in a mix of anger, jealousy, and betrayal, then they'll break apart eventually. As Ethan and Zach pointed out at lunch today, Valentine's Day is coming up soon. Will and Magenta will definitely have a date somewhere, and we can ruin it."

 

"Ruining their date sounds kind of petty; what are you planning, to get Wendy to make it rain on them?"

 

Layla rolled her eyes. "I'm thinking something a bit more disastrous than that, Warren. Wendy will be needed, but not to make it rain. In fact, they'll all be needed. If it's planned and executed properly, then no one will ever _think_ it has to do with us."

 

"Start from the beginning, hippie, you're confusing the fuck out of me."

 

Layla reached over Warren to her nightstand, grabbing a pad of paper and a pen. "Write it down step by step, and we'll go over it in the morning to see if we can actually do it."

 

Waiting until Warren was ready, Layla then detailed her plan for Valentine's Day.

 

...

 

"Oh, here you are. Are you all ready to practice?" Nurse Spex asked, smiling at them from behind her thick glasses.

 

"Yes, Nurse Spex. We were waiting for you to arrive. Could we use your key to get the citizen dummies from storage, please?" Layla asked politely.

 

"Of course," Nurse Spex said, handing the key to Layla.

 

She smiled in thanks and headed over to the gym's storage room with Zach.

 

"Do you really think Nurse Spex won't say anything?" Zach asked quietly.

 

"If she falls asleep, then she won't remember anything to be able to say anything," Layla replied, opening the gym's storage cupboard.

 

"Hey, dodge balls! Warren, can we throw these at you?" Zach called, holding up a ball.

 

"Why?"

 

"Because you've got to be faster, you can't just stand in one spot all the time," Zach replied.

 

"We can practice our aim as well," Layla added, grabbing a bag to hold the balls. "Can you get three of the dummies, Zach?"

 

"They're creepy as all fuck," he groaned, heading to the section with the citizens.

 

" _Save me! Save me! Save me!_ " a chorus of citizens cried a moment later.

 

"Turn those damn things off!" Warren snapped.

 

"I don't know how they turned on!" Zach called as he walked over to drop two of the dummies near their group before heading back for a third.

 

Warren found the switch for the citizens and turned them off, much to the relief of the others around them.

 

"Excuse me, Nurse Spex? Would you like to sit down? You don't need to be standing for our whole session," Layla said, guiding her over to a chair.

 

"Oh, that's nice, dear. Thank you. You know, I remember your mother. Such a kind girl. She helped get rid of the bird problem when we first started floating. It's a shame she died," Nurse Spex said with a sigh.

 

"Yes, it is a shame," Layla said, turning away as her eyes flashed green.

 

She walked back over to the group who were standing there awkwardly, no one quite sure what to do or where to start. Her jaw clenched, Layla grabbed one of the dodge balls, throwing it towards Warren. He dodged just in time.

 

"What the hell, hippie?!"

 

"You're meant to be practising, and we need to work on our powers. Everyone needs to use their powers to throw the balls. Except maybe you, Adam," she added, not wanting to destroy and replace the gym equipment, and Adam nodded in understanding.

 

"What about me? And Donny? I don't think our powers are exactly practical when it comes to throwing a ball around," Zach said.

 

"Don't worry, I've got something I can work on," Donny said, sitting on the floor and closing his eyes, breathing in deeply before exhaling slowly.

 

Layla couldn't think of something for Zach. In the background, she saw that Craig had picked up three of the balls and was juggling them with ease.

 

"Why don't you try to increase and decrease your glow every time you throw or get hit with a ball?" Warren suggested, picking up the nearby ball to throw at Zach.

 

"Or you could work on _not_ screaming when you get hit?" Craig said with a smirk after Zach let out a loud yelp.

 

Adam scooped up a ball and threw it at Craig, who dropped the three balls he was juggling. One of the bouncing balls headed towards Layla, who made a fern spring up in front of her to block and catch it. Craig threw a ball at Wendy, a sudden gust of wind blowing in front of her, but it wasn't strong enough to stop the ball entirely. She slowed it enough to catch it and threw the ball at Layla, who was distracted with Adam. The ball hit Layla's side and she turned, a vine reaching out to grab it. Zach grabbed one of the balls and threw it at Warren, missing by a good half a metre.

 

"That was pathetic, Zach," Craig sneered, throwing a ball at Wendy with perfect aim.

 

Warren made his way over to Craig, keeping his flames beneath the surface of his skin so he wouldn't melt the balls that were thrown his way. As soon as he was close enough, Warren grabbed Craig by the front of the shirt, lifting him entirely off the ground.

 

"What the hell?" Craig cried out, surprised.

 

" _Never_ call anyone pathetic again, understood?" Warren snarled, his voice low and angry.

 

Craig could see Warren's eyes _burning_ , an intense blue colour that scared the shit out of him, more than if he'd been set alight. "All right! Sorry!"

 

Warren dropped Craig and went over to where Zach was standing. No one tried to throw a ball at him, watching the entire exchange curiously.

 

"You didn't have to do that," Zach said, sullen and looking at the ground.

 

"Yes, I did. Now, pick the ball up and I'll show you how to throw it so you can hit your target."

 

With that, their training resumed. Layla continued to grow plants and vines to block or catch the balls, trying to attack and defend at the same time. Wendy worked on creating a stronger gust of wind to move the ball away from her, whether as a defense or attack on the others. Craig changed his form every time a ball hit him, working on using the copied super's powers as well.

 

"Follow through with your arm," Warren instructed, demonstrating and then holding Zach's arm so he could keep it at the proper angle. "Try to hit the blue line on the floor," he said, stepping back to let Zach try on his own.

 

Zach's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he held the ball back, aimed and threw it at the blue line. It missed by a smaller amount than before and Zach glowed brightly at his progress.

 

"Tone the glow back," Warren said, shielding his eyes.

 

"Ah, right. Sorry," Zach said sheepishly, but still looking pretty damn proud of himself.

 

Ethan came in to the gym half an hour later, seeing what they were doing with the dodge balls, and that Nurse Spex was asleep. Zach waved to him brightly and Layla headed over to where Ethan was putting his bag down.

 

"How did everything go with the paper?" Layla asked.

 

"Not bad. The layout has been redesigned and the next issue will be out in a week," Ethan said, ducking behind the gym's divider to change quickly, stepping out a second later. "The actual articles are mostly opinion pieces at the moment, but Lisa's given me a follow up article for next month's issue."

 

"On what?" Layla asked curiously.

 

"School's grading system between Heroes and Hero Support. She's got an opinion piece discussing it, but wants more concrete evidence for the next one."

 

"All right. Are you ready to start practising?" Layla asked as they headed back to the group, passing Donny who was still sitting on the floor, breathing in and out methodically.

 

"Sure. What are the rules?"

 

"Dodge the balls using your power," Layla said.

 

"Is there a scoring system in place?"

 

"Not yet; you're welcome to make one," she replied.

 

Ethan nodded and promptly melted down as a ball headed their way. Layla ducked in response, the ball flying over her head and straight towards Donny. Donny didn't open his eyes or stop his rhythmic breathing, but he held his hand out and batted the ball away right before it could hit into his face.

 

Ethan moved over to the ball, the ball disappearing with a wet _pop_ and joining him in the puddle. Layla watched curiously as Ethan's puddle continued along the gym floor, almost inconspicuous if no one was paying attention. Ethan stopped and reformed, throwing the ball before melting down again. All in all, his attack and melting took less than a second, and if Layla hadn't been watching so intently, she might have thought the ball flew at Craig of its own accord. She moved so she was standing by the puddle.

 

"Does the ball add extra weight when you move around?" Layla asked curiously.

 

Ethan reformed again and stood beside her, keeping an eye out for the balls flying around the gym. They were literally flying, in fact, as Wendy had whipped up a small whirlwind to keep the balls from hitting her.

 

"Not really. I can kind of notice it, but at the same time, liquid is easier to transport than the physical item itself."

 

"How fast could you move with another person?"

 

"If they're calm and not struggling like... Uh, well, I could probably move as fast as usual," he finished abruptly, confusing Layla. He moved slightly and it might have almost come across as a casual movement if he hadn't just stopped mid-sentence. "You've seen that the camera is on?" Ethan asked quietly.

 

"What camera?" she hissed, resisting the temptation to turn and look around.

 

"The one above the entrance? It was put there after Royal Pain tried to take over the school. There were other cameras installed in the hallway as well."

 

A feeling of cold dread washed over Layla. She hadn't even _thought_ to look for a camera, hadn't known there was one in the gym anyway, and she hadn't held back. Whatever suspicions Principal Powers might have about her would definitely be confirmed.

 

A loud alarm sounded, waking Nurse Spex with a jolt. "Time's up!" she called after she realised where she was, turning off her alarm and standing up.

 

Wendy's whirlwind died down and they spent a few minutes gathering the balls to put back in the storage room along with the dummies, which they hadn't even had a chance to use.

 

When they had all changed into their usual clothes and gathered their bags, Donny stood up slowly, opening his eyes again.

 

"What were you doing anyway, Donny?" Wendy asked as they headed out of the school building and towards the last bus to take them down into Maxville.

 

"Changing Principal Power's memory."

 

"What?" Layla asked, eyes wide.

 

"Wait 'til we're on the bus," Donny said.

 

They fell silent for the last few metres, getting on the bus. A few other students who had stayed late for their own curricular activities or detention were on the bus as well, but most had their own jetpacks or had parents with flying cars, so the bus was fairly empty.

 

They were able to sit in a group, Craig leading the conversation innocently enough about a Mad Science project he was working on with Adam. When they were in the air and the bus' exhausts covered their conversation, Craig stopped talking and looked at Donny. "Explain, now."

 

"Principal Powers was filming our session to see what we'd get up to; I changed her thoughts as they were occurring so she wouldn't be suspicious."

 

"That doesn't make sense," Adam said, frowning.

 

"I did a thing with Honey to help get my power under control and at the same time, I saw the future possibility of my power where I can not only read thoughts, but change them as well. I've been practising, but today was the first time I've done it for so long, and I'm kind of wiped," Donny admitted, looking tired and pale.

 

"What did you change her thoughts to?" Zach asked.

 

"Didn't it contradict what she was seeing on the screen?" Ethan asked.

 

"I gave her a few general thoughts about how we weren't exactly high-standard villains. You know that test the government ran a few years ago where they showed a group of people a picture of a woman in a red dress, and then a day later, they added two strangers to the group who said the dress was purple instead, and more than 90% of the group agreed with the strangers instead of their own thoughts? That's basically what I did with Powers, so when I changed her thoughts, she didn't really see you on the screen throwing balls and practicing with your powers, she saw you running around after the balls like a bunch of idiots instead."

 

"I'm not sure I like being thought of as an idiot, but I suppose it's better than the alternative," Warren said, resting back on his seat and closing his eyes.

 

"What if she watches the recording again?" Layla asked.

 

"How many times do you watch a video if you're certain of what happened?" Donny pointed out, Layla nodding briefly.

 

"A time will come when we do something that contradicts her thoughts and then she'll probably rewatch the video," Wendy replied.

 

"By then it will be too late," Layla said with a grin.

 

They slipped into silence after that, all of them tired and needing to conserve their energy.

 

After a few more minutes of flying, the bus set down on the freeway, heading to the designated drop off point where their parents or rides were waiting. Nina was talking with Anita, Frieda, Craig's mother, and Donny's father. When the bus stopped, Heidi rushed out of the car to wave at her brother wildly. Zach grinned and waved back at her.

 

"That reminds me: I found out about the ASL class. It's still being held on Saturdays at the Council office from 10am to 11am. It's $3 a week and they provide morning tea," Nina said.

 

" _Three_ dollars? Are you sure?" Anita asked, surprised.

 

"Yeah, I double-checked that too. Apparently it's designed as an actual course, so they will need to go every week to actually benefit from the classes. Really, it ends up being $156 a year, but the organisers couldn't get people to attend with that price, so they changed it to $3 a class, even though it ends up being the same amount," Nina said, shaking her head.

 

"Well, for that price, Ethan will definitely be attending."

 

"What am I attending?" Ethan asked his mother curiously.

 

"The ASL class at the Council office; Saturday mornings, 10 to 11am, and it's only $3 a week."

 

"Wow, that's great. We can change our study group to after 11, right?" Ethan asked, looking to the others.

 

"I want to go to the ASL class too, so that works for me," Layla said, Warren nodding in agreement.

 

"Same," Wendy said.

 

"I get an extra hour to sleep in, nice," Craig said, grinning. His grin faltered when the others glared at him. "What?"

 

"It will be good for you to go along as well, Craig," his mother said.

 

"But it's the weekend!" Craig protested.

 

Heidi tugged on Craig's shirt, signing something to him quickly.

 

"Heids, language!" Zach said, grabbing his sister's hands before she could finish.

 

"What did she say?" Craig asked, looking between Heidi, Zach, and Ethan.

 

"You'll have to learn to find out," Ethan replied with a grin.

 

"I hate you all," Craig groaned. "Adam, back me up here, man."

 

"I'm going too. My folks can spare three bucks a week," Adam said, shrugging.

 

"I have to get to work. See you all tomorrow at school," Layla said as she and Frieda went over to the car, Frieda waving beside her.

 

"See you tomorrow," Ethan said, Zach signing goodbye beside him just to annoy Craig.

 

"You're welcome to stay with us on Fridays, Adam, if that makes it easier for you to get to the Council office on Saturday mornings," Nina offered.

 

"Yeah, that'd be good. Thanks, Ms. Peace," Adam said. "C'mon, man, just think of all the cool swear words you can say in sign language," he said, grinning at Craig.

 

"Ugh, fine. See you guys tomorrow," Craig said, heading to his mother's car with Adam.

 

Wendy and Donny left with his father a moment later, and Heidi and Zach climbed in the back seat of Anita's car with Ethan sitting in the front.

 

"Ready to go to work, kid?" Nina asked Warren.

 

"Yeah, ready to go. Have fun talking with the other adults?" he asked as she started to drive off.

 

"Yeah, I did. They're a good group of people. You don't mind that I invited Adam over on Fridays on your behalf?"

 

"Nah, I don't mind."

 

"You'll probably have to get the blow up mattress for him; I don't think he'll fit on the couch."

 

"The blow up mattress melted the last time we attempted camping."

 

Nina made a noise of surprise, frowning. "When was that?"

 

Warren snorted. "About when I was ten. Remember, it rained all night and I tried to make a fire, but melted the mattress instead? We got in trouble with the park ranger."

 

"Oh, yeah. I thought I'd bought a new one since then?"

 

"I'm pretty sure that was the reason you didn't buy a new one. Well, that, and we've never gone camping since."

 

"Really? Shit. Did you _want_ to go camping?" Nina asked, worry filling her that she'd failed as a mother because apparently she hadn't taken her son outside in over six years.

 

"Hell no. I hate camping."

 

"Thank god for that," Nina breathed in relief. "Well, I'll see what the prices are like for a mattress at the store. If you clear out under your bed, you could fit a single mattress under there."

 

"It's already clean; there's nothing under there. Well, maybe some dust."

 

"What, no porn?"

 

"Mum, seriously?"

 

"What, masturbation's healthy. Unless you and Layla are already having sex? If you are, I hope you're being safe. I'm too young to be a grandmother yet."

 

"Whoa, Mum. We haven't had sex, okay? Can we stop talking about this, please?"

 

"Why are you so embarrassed? It's just sex. Unless you're embarrassed to talk to your mother about it? Which is really the fault of society, making the topic taboo, when it's no big deal."

 

"Oh god, please stop talking," Warren groaned, covering his face with his hands.

 

Nina grinned and continued. "Well, it's true. And it's not like people actually _need_ to have sex anyway. Are you or Layla... what's the word? Aromatic? No, that's not right."

 

"Aromantic is the word you mean, and that's not even the right word. You mean asexual," Warren muttered. "And, no, I'm not asexual, and I'm pretty sure Layla's not either."

 

"Okay. There'd be nothing wrong with either of you - or anyone else - if you were, y'know."

 

"Yes, I know. I'm completely open-minded to all genders, identities, and sexualities, okay? Can I leave now?"

 

"Sure," Nina said, pulling into the parking lot for the Paper Lantern. "Frieda's offered for you to stay at her house tonight. Do you need me to buy you condoms on the next shopping trip?"

 

"We're not having sex, remember?"

 

"It's better to be prepared than sorry. Is Layla on the pill?"

 

"I don't know! I'm getting out of the car now."

 

Nina laughed brightly. "Love you too. Have a good night at work, kid."

 

Warren paused before he opened the door. "Love you, Mum. Thanks."

 

"No problem," Nina said, grinning. "I'm allowed to embarrass you now and then, but you've got to admit that it's better when it's just the two of us."

 

Warren couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, true. See you tomorrow."

 

"Be safe!" Nina called, laughing when Warren closed the door firmly behind him and practically bolted for the Paper Lantern's staff entrance.

 

...

 

"Hi Magenta."

 

"Layla? Uh, hi," Magenta added awkwardly, wincing at herself in the mirror. She kept her phone wedged between her ear and shoulder as she tugged at the dress her mother had given her.

 

"Are you all right? You seem a little distracted," Layla said.

 

"Oh, yeah, fine. I'm trying on a dress and it's as awkward as I'd always imagined," Magenta said, grinning.

 

"A dress, you? I thought you swore you'd never wear a dress? You said you wouldn't even wear a dress to your own wedding," Layla teased.

 

"Yeah, well, you know my mother. If she says I have to wear a dress for my date on Valentine's Day, then I have to wear a dress. Uh," she trailed off, realising that she was talking about going on a date with Layla's ex.

 

"Is the dress purple, at least?"

 

"Of course; it's the only reason I said yes," Magenta replied with a grin, relieved that Layla hadn't immediately hung up on her.

 

"How are Cyan and Cerulean?" Layla asked.

 

Magenta thought of her older and younger brothers with a grin. "Cy and his friends decorated their campus with toilet paper last week. They coloured rolls of it in blue and red, then claimed they were on the decorating committee for Supers' Day when they were caught.

 

"Cerulean's brought home every single painting he's done at kindergarten, and probably some of the other kids' work as well. They're holding the walls up."

 

"Sounds like a lot of fun going on. I do have an ulterior motive to calling, and I know this is going to sound weird, but where are you going for Valentine's Day? I want to go somewhere special with Warren, and no offence, but I kind of don't want to see Will."

 

"Oh. Yeah, I get that. Uh. We're going to The Glass Mirror."

 

"The restaurant in Westville?" Layla asked, surprised.

 

"Yeah, his parents managed to book a table for us, and it's way more upscale than anywhere I've been before, hence the dress."

 

"Makes sense. Thanks for letting me know, I guess it wouldn't have been a problem after all."

 

"Where are you and Warren going?" Magenta asked.

 

"I wanted to decide after I called you. It depends on which place has a table free," Layla said with a laugh. "I'd better get back to work. It was good talking to you, Magenta. Good luck with the dress."

 

"Thanks. Have a nice night."

 

"You too," Layla said, ending the call with a smile.

 

With that done, Layla walked around Donny to where the others were waiting to train. Nurse Spex was already snoring away in the corner of the gym and didn't notice a thing, even when Warren stood beside her and created a fire on the other side of the gym that stretched up towards the ceiling without a single wisp of smoke to be seen.

 

Ethan had been right about Mr. Medulla, who spent one session with them, then determined it to be a waste of his time and spent the rest of their sessions in his lab grading papers and pop quizzes instead. As long as they didn't tell Principal Powers they were left alone for their gym sessions, Mr. Medulla wouldn't bother them with his presence, which worked for both parties.

 

In their training sessions, Layla alternated between trying to create a combination of plants from a single seed to working with Warren or Adam or sometimes both to conjure up plants that could withstand their flames and acid.

 

Zach worked on adjusting the brightness of his glow and practiced other things he'd learnt in class and needed to work on more, away from the jeers and laughter of his peers (the life raft was only inflated once, and Craig knew better than to taunt him again).

 

Wendy set up several rubber targets around one of the dummy citizens and was trying to hit the targets with lightning bolts without singeing the citizen or anyone else in the gym, making sure to lessen the roll of thunder so Nurse Spex wouldn't wake up.

 

Donny spent most of his time sitting on the gym floor doing something that he didn't actually explain, but they all figured it had to do with practising and changing people's thoughts.

 

Adam worked with Craig to improve his friend's stamina using whichever superhero or villain's power for the whole time they were training, and when Craig was confident enough in Adam's form, they both spent time creating different kinds and sizes of acids.

 

Ethan melted as soon as a ball came in his direction, though a few times, he found himself melting down along with the ball as well. At Layla and Zach's insistence, when he wasn't dodging balls, Ethan spent time racing around the gym with various things melted down with him, from some of Layla's seeds to the truck that was usually suspended in the ceiling. Then, whenever one of them called out Ethan's name, he had to reform the items without reforming himself at the same time. A few times, the truck lost a wheel or its doors, but he was getting better at his control and stamina, just as the others were.

 

As they trained every weekday and every weekend when possible, Valentine's Day loomed closer, and soon the day was upon them. Everyone knew the plan and the role they had to play, and though some minor adjustments had been made when Layla and Warren detailed their plan, they both knew that the plan had only been improved.

 

Layla woke up on Valentine's Day morning with a bright smile, looking forward to the day ahead.

 

...

 

End of the forty-fourth chapter.


	45. Chapter 45

Layla tried not to let her lip curl _too much_ when she walked into school to find it decorated in every shade of pink and red known to man.

"What the fuck?" Warren muttered beside her, actually turning to see if they'd entered the right building, even though it was the only building on the floating plot of land.

"It's gross, isn't it?" Magenta muttered, wincing as she passed by.

Layla kissed Warren's cheek and hurried after Magenta. "How are you, Magenta?"

Magenta looked surprised that Layla had followed after her, but smiled and shrugged. "Not bad. I've got an assignment for English I'm worrying about, but it's nothing major. What about you?"

"Oh, the same. Mad Science test today. I'm curious as to whether Mr. Medulla will have his class decorated the same as the hallways," she added in a conspiratorial whisper, making Magenta laugh in response.

Her laugh died down suddenly and Layla knew that Will had arrived; he was probably standing there staring at them with his jaw hanging open. Layla had seen the expression enough over the course of their friendship that she didn't even need to turn around to look. Instead, she smiled at Magenta and shouldered her bag more firmly.

"Good luck with your English assignment, Magenta. Oh, and have a great night tonight," she said, smiling and leaving without looking back to Will.

"Maj, why were you talking with her?" Will hissed as Layla left.

"She was just saying hello, Will," Magenta replied, rolling her eyes. "Which you haven't said yet," she added pointedly.

"Oh. Right. Hello. Happy Valentine's Day," Will said, pressing a kiss to her cheek and making Magenta smile and blush lightly.

Layla organised her things for her first classes, glancing down at her phone. Warren had sent her a text.

_Happy Valentine's and whatever. I think my first present should be burning this pink crap to ash._

_You too. What do you mean first present? How many presents are you giving me? I've only got one for you._

_Oh, that was a present for me, not you. And half of the student population, probably._

_You're giving half the students a Valentine's Day present? Should I be worried?_

_Yes. I'm leaving you for them._

_Who? I need names so I know who to hurt._

"Ah, good morning, Miss Williams! What do you think of the decorations?" Mr. Boy asked behind her.

Layla put her phone down and turned to Mr. Boy with a smile. "They're very festive."

"Oh, good. I was hoping someone would think so! It's not often we teachers get to decorate more than our classrooms," Mr. Boy lamented with a heavy sigh.

"This was _your_ handiwork?" Layla asked. "I mean... It must have taken you a long time to get this all up by yourself!"

"Oh, it was nothing All-American Boy couldn't handle!" he said, hands on his hips.

The school bell sounded and Mr. Boy paled, realising that he was meant to be in home group with his students already. He ran off, throwing a farewell over his shoulder, and jumped over a group of students to get to his classroom that much faster. Layla bit back her laugh when Mr. Boy almost got entangled in the decorations, then she grabbed her phone and the last of her things to head for her own homeroom.

She subtly checked her phone while attendance was being marked off, and grinned at Warren's response.

_Why bother with names? Just go with all of them instead._

_Apart from any permanent markers, that was the plan, really_ , Layla thought to herself, raising her hand when her name was called.

...

"I thought you were against Valentine's Day?" Ethan asked, nodding to the gift sitting in front of Layla. He took his glasses off to clean them properly, frowning at one stubborn mark.

"I am, but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn down a present. Or not give one in return. It's something Warren actually needs, rather than some ridiculous gift that doesn't have any use," Layla said, setting the gift in front of Warren once he sat down beside her.

Warren pulled out a small present from the inner pocket of his jacket and set it in front of her. He didn't say anything or wait for a response, simply started eating his food.

Layla was surprised to see it was a long jewellery box, similar to ones that held trinkets and bracelets. She was wearing her usual bangles already, but wondered if Warren might've bought her a cuff like the one around his wrist.

"Mr. Medulla created a chemical _thing_ that destroyed all of the crepe paper that had been put in the Mad Science room. It covered the whole class in confetti and Larry had a coughing fit," Craig said as he and Adam sat down.

"I know what happened, man, I was there."

"Ooh, you got presents for each other? What'd you get?" Craig asked, squeezing in between Layla and Zach.

"You'll see once we've opened them," Layla replied, calmly taking a bite of her salad.

"Ethan got me this puzzle about knots," Zach said, pulling out the box that came with a book of instructions and several small ropes to try the knots out.

"Heh, kinky," Craig said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"That's what I said," Zach said, grinning and holding his hand out for a high-five.

Craig snorted and slapped his hand. "What did Zach get for you?" he asked, nodding to Ethan.

"A set of colour-coded notebooks, gel pens, and tabbed dividers," Ethan said, looking so happy about his gift that Craig's cruel retort died on his lips.

"Great gifts, guys! Now, hurry up, you two," Craig said, nudging Layla.

Warren wished he hadn't eaten all of his food so quickly. "What if it's private?"

"Then you shouldn't be exchanging gifts in the cafeteria," Craig replied, snorting.

"Craig has a point," Ethan said.

"C'mon, hippie. Open your damn present so they stop pestering us," Warren muttered.

In truth, he was a little anxious to see what her response would be to his gift. It had taken a long time to find, between his shifts at work, their own training and plans, and the stores' opening hours. He just hoped she liked it.

Donny laughed around a mouthful of juice and Warren glared at him, hoping he choked on it.

"All right, fine. We open the presents and you leave us alone, got it?" Layla said, glaring at each of their friends in turn.

Wendy looked offended. "I haven't said a thing!"

"That's because you've been too busy admiring your bracelet to notice what's going on around you," Adam pointed out, grinning.

"It's fulgurite," Wendy replied, shrugging.

"What's that when it's home?" Craig asked.

"Glass made from lightning and sand," Wendy replied, stroking the bracelet with her thumb.

"Oh. Good gift idea," Craig said, nodding at Donny, who grinned. "Now, you two..." he said, turning to Layla and Warren, who were kissing. He pulled a face, his nose wrinkled. "Geez, what the hell did you give each other to get PDA in the cafeteria?"

"Warren got a pair of gloves. Layla got jewellery, I think," Ethan said, peering over the table to the opened box.

"Really? _That_ for jewellery?"

Layla finally let Warren go, smiling at him brightly. Warren looked a little dazed, but his hands were hot against her hips and he grinned back at her, slow and warm.

Next to Layla, Craig stared when he saw vines flowering in her hair. He looked from Ethan to Zach and back to the flowers, a little relieved that they seemed to be as surprised as he felt.

"I can't believe you found this. Where? When?" she asked, looking back to the box with her mother's jewellery inside. It wasn't all of it, but it was enough: the pearl necklace and her gold earrings and her silver bracelet.

"Went to a few pawn stores during my free time," Warren replied, shrugging. "I couldn't find everything you'd described, but I think it might've been sold already."

"What're you both going on about? What's so great about some old jewellery?" Craig asked, chewing on a mouthful of tater tots.

"It was my mother's jewellery. My Great Aunt stole it and sold it off when I was at school," Layla replied, slipping the bracelet on with the other bangles and bracelets around her wrist.

She closed the box and tucked it onto her lap, not wanting to leave it out in the open. Layla smiled as Warren replaced his fingerless gloves with the new gloves she'd bought for him.

"Hobo gloves, nice work," Craig said, giving Warren a thumbs up.

Layla elbowed Craig sharply in the ribs. "They're actually specially-designed gloves. They should withstand your flames without cracking like your leather ones did," she added.

"What're they made out of?" Zach asked curiously.

"Rhovyl fibres. It's flame retardant and similar to Kevlar, according to what I read online."

Warren built up his power slowly, a red-orange flame turning to a fierce yellow, then to a blinding white before it burnt down to a bright blue flame, barely visible. Beneath the flames, the gloves didn't melt or crack. Layla moved back a bit at the intense heat she could feel from the flames, even though she knew Warren would never hurt her. Across the table, Zach's eyes widened and Ethan stared.

"Holy shit. How did you get those into Maxville?" Zach asked, voice low.

"Honey very kindly allowed me to use one of her businesses to purchase them; I got the idea from Ethan about the suit materials," Layla said, smiling at them. She turned to Warren, who was alternating between hot and burning hot flames on his palms. "A few reviews have stated that the fingertips wear down, so let me know if that happens and I'll get a replacement pair for free. Honey's mentioned something about sewing extra fibres onto the fingertips, which might help if these do get worn out."

Warren moved the flames up to his fingertips, blue, yellow, and red flames flickering. "I'll let you know. Thanks, hippie," he said, the flames dying a moment before he pulled her close to kiss her.

"All right, that's enough PDA from both of you. You're making me lose my appetite," Craig said, even as he stole Adam's pudding.

"You'd better put that back if you don't want acid holes on your face," Adam said calmly, not looking up from his textbook.

Craig winced and carefully placed the pudding back, looking to the others to see if they had any leftovers. Donny threw his pudding towards Craig, who caught it just before it smacked into his face. "Thanks!"

"What did Wendy get you, Donny?" Zach asked.

"A bonsai tree," Donny replied.

"Huh?"

"Layla made it for me; it's to help with his concentration," Wendy replied.

"How?" Craig asked.

"It's like the trees at The Hive; they're more sentient than most plants, and I can focus my thoughts on its thoughts."

"The trees have thoughts?" Zach asked, shuddering.

"Nothing like our thoughts, but essentially, yes. They think about food and water and sunlight. Layla's trees have a focus on all of that as well as any people around them. It's hard to explain, but they can kind of feel a person's intentions from the air around them," Donny said, frowning as he tried to think of a better explanation.

The bell rang loudly and Craig finished eating the last of his pudding. "Why're you studying so hard, Adam?"

"We've got a Mad Science test on Monday and I won't have time to study on the weekend," Adam replied.

"Oh yeah, you're doing that computer thing with what's their name, right?"

Adam went tight-lipped but nodded in response.

"So are you still coming to the ASL class tomorrow then?" Layla asked as they all left the cafeteria.

"Yes, I've got time for that," Adam said. "I'm going to Warren's tonight to make sure of it."

"Good to know. See you later. Thanks for the gifts," Layla said to Warren, kissing his cheek before heading to her locker to get her things for the afternoon and Save the Citizen, and to hide her mother's jewellery in her bag.

...

"Hey, have a good night at work, Layla," Adam said, grinning as she stood to get off the bus, leaving Warren and Adam to continue to the Peace residence before Warren's shift at the Paper Lantern.

"Thanks. See you later," she replied with a smile, leaving as the bus slowed to a stop in front of the Council office.

Layla could hardly wait for the night to begin.

...

"All right, Operation Valentine's Day is a go!"

"Zach, I will turn you into a puddle if you don't stop calling it that."

"You wouldn't do that to me! You love me," Zach said, looking at Ethan with wide eyes.

"That doesn't mean you're not annoying the hell out of me," Ethan muttered. He took Zach's hand anyway as they left the movie theatre, heading towards the restaurant they had booked for dinner.

"Fine. What did you think of the movie, then?"

"I didn't exactly see much of it," Ethan pointed out, Zach grinning in response.

"Yeah. The bits I did see weren't that great anyway. Whoever decided to do a remake of Point Break was stupid."

"Besides, it was obvious he was in love with him, and then he went with his sister instead? Forced heteronormativity much?" Ethan muttered.

Zach snorted. "I love it when you use big words. Oh, here we are. Any sign of the others?" he asked, looking around quickly.

"Subtle, Zach, really," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.

There was a loud blare of sirens that had most people turning to look curiously, three fire trucks screeching down the street.

"Well, that's Phase One complete," Zach murmured to Ethan with a grin.

"Why can I actually hear you capitalising those words? Seriously? Come on, I'm hungry and I'll need the energy later on," Ethan said. He ignored Zach's waggling eyebrows and guided his boyfriend into the restaurant.

...

The thoughts of the surrounding people were a buzz in the back of Donny's mind. He let their thoughts wash over him, only focusing in on people here and there when certain words or thoughts caught his attention. Wendy was beside him in the horse-drawn carriage, playing subtle tricks with the atmosphere that most people would be too distracted to notice.

"First phase is done," Donny murmured when several people's thoughts registered the fire trucks passing by.

"Good. Excuse me for a moment," Wendy said, her expression turning blank as she focused on the atmosphere a few blocks down instead of around them.

A flash of lightning struck with devastating precision, fire trucks screeching to a halt as a lamp post fell on the road ahead of them. A second flash of lightning struck on the side street to them, effectively blocking their way to the fire.

Beside Wendy, Donny called the fire department, an urgent tone in his voice as he relayed his message. "There are people trapped in there! They're on the top floor and can't get out! Please help!"

The driver of the carriage frowned, turning to look back at their passengers. Donny smiled and touched a finger to their forehead, changing their thoughts and removing all memory of the last few minutes. The driver shook their head and turned their attention back to the road.

"Is that what you've been practising?" Wendy asked, blinking at what she'd just witnessed.

Donny nodded. "Yes. It should last without any permanent damage. Are you all done?"

"Done. You think the phone call will work?"

"It should; the operator should check where the fire trucks are and then call the emergency number instead."

...

"Come on, Mum. I can totally do it! It's on my way, and you and Dad have your date booked on the other side of town. You don't want to be late for your reservation," Will added.

Josie looked from her red phone to her son, and thought about all of the effort she'd gone to this evening. She was wearing a dress that took more time to get into than it would to get changed into her outfit to become Jetstream, but she'd _just_ perfected her hair and put her heels on. "I still think I should go with you. It's in Westville, and what if you're not ready to do this? You haven't tried to save citizens before; they're different than saving supers."

"I saved the school; how hard can it be to save a few people from a building? Besides, they could be dying right now. I _need_ to do this, Mum."

Steve looked from Josie to Will. "He's right, dear. I was his age when I was saving people."

Will pointed to his father quickly. "See?! I'll be fine!"

Josie sighed heavily and nodded. "All right, Will. Do you have your outfit ready?"

"Already got it on," Will said, unbuttoning his dress shirt.

While Will had helped design the outfit (colours, mostly), his parents had gifted the outfit to him since he'd received a B- on his Mad Science assignment. Also, there was the whole _thing_ where people - citizens or supers - couldn't order the proper fabrics they needed for protective outfits for whatever reason, so he'd needed their help with that too. Now that he had the outfit, Will was determined to try it out and gain status as the hero he was meant to be. He had a small mask around his eyes, since he didn't wear glasses like his parents' alter egos did, and pulled it out of his pocket to slip it on around his head.

"My baby boy's growing up," Josie said, sniffling and trying hard not to ruin her makeup. "You call us the moment anything goes wrong. Okay?"

"Okay, Mum," Will groaned. "What's the address?"

Josie gave him the address and in less than a second, Will had flown out of the Secret Sanctum.

"He'll be all right, Josie. He's got your smarts," Steve said, kissing her. "You look lovely, by the way. We're still having dinner out, right?"

Josie pulled away and took a deep breath to compose herself. "Yes, we're going out. Come on, before I change my mind and follow Will instead. Oh, what if he needs our help?"

"You've got to stop babying him, Josie. He'll be fine. He'll call if anything's wrong," Steve added in a placating tone.

Josie sighed and nodded, trying to stop from worrying - _worry lines never looked good on TV_ \- and then they left for their date.

...

Magenta sat at the restaurant, waiting and glancing to her phone every few minutes. Around her, happy couples were eating and being nauseatingly happy together. She didn't want to start eating without Will, even though he was almost an hour late and she was _starving_. A waiter passed by for the third time, and Magenta straightened up in her chair, smiling quickly.

"He's on his way," she promised, the lie settling like a stone in her stomach.

The waiter didn't seem to believe her, but took the empty bread basket and continued on. Magenta hoped he'd bring more bread back. The Glass Mirror wasn't cheap and she couldn't even afford an entrée. Will had glossed over her concerns, promising to pay for their meals since he'd been given money from his parents to take her out on a nice date. Magenta wished that they'd gone to the Paper Lantern instead; at least she could afford to pay for her own meals there and she could have eaten something besides bread already.

She looked at her phone again and the several text messages she'd sent to Will, typing another to send off.

_Hey, we're meeting at the restaurant, right?_

_Hey, are you going to be here soon?_

_Did you go to my house instead? Have you been captured by my mother?_

_That was a joke._

_Did you space on our date or something? You do know Valentine's Day is today, don't you?_

_Will, where are you?_

_The waiters are glaring at me; will you be here anytime in the next hour?_

Magenta sighed heavily as another 45 minutes and _three_ waiters passed. She no longer tried to lie to them because not even _she_ believed that Will would be coming anymore.

After all of the free bread she'd eaten and free water she'd drunk, Magenta needed the bathroom. She grabbed her phone, clutch and coat to take with her since she didn't want to leave them unattended, even _inside_ a restaurant in Westville, and headed to the bathroom. When she came back out, Magenta saw that her table had been cleared and a couple were already seated there.

"Damn it," she muttered, sighing heavily.

Heading past the bar, Magenta saw a familiar face on the TV screen. She stood there staring, in a small state of shock because that was _Will_ on live TV with a camera crew and ambulances and fire trucks around him. She recognised him, even with his brand new super suit and the eye mask he wore.

Magenta looked at her phone to see if he'd messaged her about anything, but there was nothing. With a surge of emotion, she pressed the call button on his name. She watched carefully on the screen to see if Will even _had_ his damn phone on him, but he didn't look away from the camera or the reporter, and there was none of the usual fumbling that indicated he had his phone vibrating away in one of his pockets. Magenta hung up and stared at the TV, _at Will_ , for a few more minutes. The reporter flicked her hair back, giggled, and touched Will's bicep. Will just smiled back at her charmingly and looking a little breathless at the attention.

Magenta looked at her phone and the messages she'd sent to her boyfriend on Valentine's Day - one of the more important days of the year, especially for a new couple - and then with a spike of viciousness and jealousy, she opened her contacts and started typing a new message. She glared up at Will and the reporter and pressed send forcefully.

_Good evening Mrs. Stronghold. I was wondering if you've heard from Will? He hasn't turned up for our date. I've tried ringing and texting him, but there's no answer and I'm worried. Please let me know he's all right! Have a nice night, Magenta._

...

"We don't even know if she'll come this way," Craig said.

"That's why you're on a different street to me," Adam said, rolling his eyes. "You find a food cart yet?" he asked, holding his phone between his ear and shoulder as he unwrapped his burrito.

"Not yet. Oh, wait a sec."

"What is it? Food?" Adam asked, taking a bite of his burrito.

"No, it's her. Gotta go," Craig said, hanging up.

Adam slipped his phone away in his pocket and finished his burrito as he headed towards Craig's street, just in case he needed help.

...

Josie had kept her phone on the table, determined to fly out the _second_ Will called, citizens be damned. Steve had spent most of the evening distracting Josie, commenting on their food, discussing (and hoping) for an upcoming holiday, and when Josie's phone did vibrate on the table almost two hours into their dinner, they both jumped in surprise.

Josie practically wrenched her hand away from her husband's grip and looked at the message she'd received. Her worried expression went blank and then her lips drew together into a thin line. Steve knew that expression far too well; Josie was _pissed_.

"Excuse me, dear," Josie said, pressing a few buttons on the phone to make a call, holding it up to her ear.

Steve watched in some confusion, wondering just what the message had said. He found out soon enough.

"William Theodore Stronghold, how dare you leave Magenta alone on _Valentine's Day_ without even texting her about the delay? That poor girl has been sitting in the restaurant this whole time waiting for you, and I _know_ how long it takes to get people out a burning building, so don't use that as an excuse! You apologise to her immediately. And why don't you have your phone on you? When you get home, you are grounded for lying to me, young man. Oh, and your father will have a few words to say to you as well," Josie snapped, ending the call abruptly.

Steve was quietly panicking at his wife's words. Across from him, Josie muttered under her breath and floated off her chair briefly. "Don't worry, Steve, I'll tell you what to say," she said when she was calmer and seated a moment later.

Steve breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, dear."

...

Magenta couldn't help but think of the Damsel in Distress class she and the other girls in her year had taken earlier in the year. The citizen in front of her held a gun, she couldn't shift in front of a citizen, and her mother had already threatened her not to stain her dress before she left the house, so she'd probably kill her if she ended up getting a bullet hole in the dress. She stared at the gun for a moment longer, vaguely noting that she was probably in a state of shock, and then, just as she'd learnt at Sky High, she screamed for help.

It might have worked in Maxville, where citizens were used to screams of terror and running to help or running to find the closest superhero. They were in Westville instead, where people hurried past if someone screamed, hoping they wouldn't become the next victim themselves. It probably didn't help that the man had dragged her into an alley, blocking the only exit. She felt her power crawling under her skin, the urge to shift and flee almost overwhelming her.

"Fucking hell," the man snarled, dashing forward to put a hand over her mouth and press the gun to her side. "Just give me your money and phone and I'll let you live," he snapped.

Magenta wanted to roll her eyes at the clichéd words, but apparently her classes had taught her a thing or two, the main thing being: don't antagonise citizens with guns. The second would probably be 'don't roll your eyes at them either' since she wasn't entirely sure that rolling your eyes actually counted as antagonising a person anyway.

 _Just do as the man says and you can get away from here and go home_ , Magenta told herself practically. Then she thought of her phone. _What if Will had finally texted back? Or Mrs. Stronghold?_

"It wasn't a question," the man snarled, the gun digging into her side harder now.

The gun was cold and blunt and she was sure she would bruise. She felt helpless and hated that feeling more than any other in the world. The turmoil of emotions hit her in full force - from being stood up to seeing that reporter flirting with Will to being held up by a _citizen_ of all things - and Magenta couldn't help the tears that stung her eyes. She tried to blink them away, hating herself and wishing she didn't even have stupid tear ducts in the first place. Behind the balaclava he wore, the man's eyes seemed unaffected by her own tear-filled eyes, the gun digging in deeper.

Magenta felt her hand shaking as she handed over her clutch with the meagre thirty dollars she'd brought to contribute to dinner and her phone that was still void of returned texts or calls. The man grinned as though he was _pleased_ about taking everything from her, and just when Magenta thought she might be able to shift and get away, the man lifted the gun and hit her on the head with it.

Magenta collapsed to the ground, her assailant running off immediately. As her world became dark, her final thought was that none of this would have happened if Will had been with her.

...

End of the forty-fifth chapter.


	46. Chapter 46

Before breakfast, Layla sent a text to Magenta, something cheery and teasing about her Valentine's Day date and her dress. Layla knew very well that Magenta wouldn't be able to reply, since her phone was currently in Craig's possession, but if they ever did return Magenta's phone to her, she wanted evidence that she'd text Magenta _before_ she called her later.

 

She ate her breakfast with Frieda - oatmeal with soy milk and fresh berries, courtesy of the plants Layla had coerced in the yard outside - washed the dishes, showered and dressed for the ASL class that morning, and then organised her work for the study group later that day. With that all done, almost forty-five minutes had passed, and Layla figured that it was more than enough time to wait for a reply she knew would never come.

 

"Hi, Mrs. Yolanda. I was wondering if Magenta was home? I text her earlier, but she hasn't replied and I was worried," Layla said.

 

"It's nice that one of her friends cares," Mrs. Yolanda muttered. "I'll get her for you," she said, calling out for Magenta even as she headed to her daughter's room. "Phone for you. It's Layla," Mrs. Yolanda added, trying not to feel even more annoyed at Will when she saw the disappointed look on Magenta's face.

 

_The nerve of that boy, standing up_ **_her daughter_ ** _on Valentine's Day, and then not calling her the next day!_

 

"Hey, Layla," Magenta said, holding the phone gingerly to the unbruised side of her face. While it was unbruised, it didn't mean it didn't hurt, and she was trying to be careful not to end up with _two_ bruised cheeks.

 

"Are you okay?" Layla asked.

 

"Yeah, just a little bruised and sore. I got mugged," Magenta said sourly, sighing as she replayed the events in her mind for the hundredth time that day. She'd started off sore more than anything, had gone on to anger, frustration, helplessness, back to angry, and now? Now Magenta was feeling sorry for herself - hating that she was feeling sorry for herself - and was sore and tired and feeling helpless and hating herself even more for all of it.

  
"You were mugged?! When? What happened?" Layla asked, voice filled with concern, though her expression definitely wasn't.

 

"Uh, last night. Will kinda... he stood me up. He had to save people from a burning building, which is... obviously, it's good they're okay and alive, but he didn't even text, and..." Magenta sniffed. "And I was heading to the bus stop to go home and a random citizen mugged me. He had a- a gun, and... I wanted to shift so bad, but I couldn't do that in front of a citizen, and I just... I _hate_ feeling useless, y'know? So..." she breathed deeply and tried to get her emotions under control. "The whole night kinda sucked.

 

"Ethan and Zach were the ones who found me and they brought me home, which was nice of them. I'm pretty sure a bunch of people just walked past that alleyway and ignored me lying there," she added with a laugh, not humorous in any way.

 

"I just want to forget it ever happened, and then there's another part of me that's so angry with myself for not doing more. I could've hit the guy or kicked him or something," Magenta said, her jaw and fist clenching in anger, then she let out a sound of pain and stopped clenching her jaw. " _Ow, shit_."

 

"Holy shit. Are you okay? Do you want me to come over? I can bring flowers for the bruises," Layla offered.

 

"Oh. Uh... It's all right. Mrs. Stronghold's coming over soon and she said she'd bring some cream for me. I wanted to talk to Will but I couldn't remember his number, and y'know, the Strongholds' aren't listed, so I called their real estate number. Mrs. Stronghold was really upset about what happened," Magenta said, sounding almost surprised.

 

 _Of course she was; her son's girlfriend being mugged would've increased her guilt over not being out patrolling when she_ ** _knew_** _the crime rate for holidays in Westville, even short ones like Valentine's Day_ , Layla thought to herself.

 

"Of course she's upset; you're Will's girlfriend," Layla replied simply. "I did text you earlier, but I'm assuming your mugger got your phone? Or is it turned off? I wouldn't blame you for that."

 

"Oh, yeah, they took my phone and purse. I only had thirty bucks, so they didn't get much," Magenta said, trying to play it off again with a small laugh.

 

"I'm so sorry; I hope the cream Mrs. Stronghold brings helps you. Is there anything I can do?"

 

"My homework?" Magenta asked, grinning a little, more genuinely now. "Nah, I'll be okay. It's mostly my pride that's hurt. That, and my face. I just want to have the weekend to get over it, so I'll be fine. I think I hear Mrs. Stronghold talking with my mum; I'd better go."

 

"All right. Well, take care of yourself, okay? I'll see you on Monday," Layla said.

 

"Thanks, Layla. Uh, thanks for calling too, that means a lot," Magenta said.

 

"Of course."

 

They said goodbye and hung up. Magenta headed down to the kitchen where her mother was looking both awed and pissed off at Mrs. Stronghold for Will's actions. Mrs. Stronghold was using all of her years as Jetstream and the media face to charm Magenta's mother into forgiving her, and possibly Will too. Magenta hung back to listen, curious to hear what they were saying.

 

"Your boy stood up my daughter, and he hasn't even contacted her once to see if she's okay," Mrs. Yolanda said, glowering.

 

"Will has been grounded for two weeks and apart from school, he's not allowed to go out. I am still so upset and appalled that he would stand Magenta up the way he did. He's left several messages on her phone, but he believes she's giving him the cold shoulder after he stood her up. Which would, of course, be absolutely understandable given the circumstances," Mrs. Stronghold said.

 

"Actually, the person who mugged me took my phone as well as my purse," Magenta said, stepping out into the kitchen.

 

Mrs. Stronghold's eyes widened at the sight of the purple bruising on Magenta's face and the scrapes on her arm from falling into the alleyway. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small jar of cream. "This will help with the bruising. If you're up to talking to Will, I'll be happy to call him for you? Fair warning: I think he's sulking in his room right now," she added with a conspiratorial wink.

 

Magenta nodded, taking the offered cream. "Thanks, Mrs. Stronghold. I really appreciate you bringing this over for me," she said.

 

"Of course. I'm so sorry about Will standing you up last night; had I known, I would have saved those people myself," she replied, sounding kind. Mrs. Stronghold pulled out her phone from her bag and called her son's number. "Will, I'm at Magenta's house. She called me looking for you; she was mugged last night. You know, after you stood her up?" Mrs. Stronghold added sternly, appeasing Mrs. Yolanda with her tone and stern facial expression. "I'll put Magenta on for you," she added, holding the phone out for her.

 

"Thank you, Mrs. Stronghold," Magenta said. She didn't really feel comfortable talking to Will in front of _both_ of their mothers, but she doubted Mrs. Stronghold would let her leave the room to talk privately. Instead, she moved to the doorway, still in sight but affording her a little bit more privacy. "Hey Will."

 

"Are you all right? Did someone hurt you? Do you know who it was?"

 

"Will, I was mugged. It's practically an everyday occurrence in Westville," Magenta said, rolling her eyes and then trying not to wince in front of Mrs. Stronghold because _holy shit that hurt her face_. "Though it would've been better if it hadn't happened when I was alone on Valentine's Day," she added pointedly, trying not to sound _too_ angry right in front of Jetstream.

 

Magenta could practically _hear_ Will's self-righteous anger deflate on the other end of the phone. Instead, he became sheepish and boyish again. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, Maj. I forgot my phone and by the time I remembered it, I was already at the burning building and I had to save the citizens."

 

"I saw that on TV. I saw you flirting with the reporter as well," Magenta said, her voice low, but both of their mothers obviously heard her words. She was surprised to see Mrs. Stronghold's jaw clench like _Jetstream_ was just as upset or angry about it as she was.

 

Will laughed nervously and at a higher pitched than normal. "I wasn't _flirting_. I was just... being charming, like heroes are meant to be," he said.

 

"You can be charming without staring at someone's breasts," she muttered sourly.

 

Will choked on nothing.

 

"May I use your television, Mrs. Yolanda? I haven't seen the news myself, and it seems my son chose to provide me with a _condensed_ version of last night's events," Mrs. Stronghold said, her voice polite, but Magenta saw that she was floating off the chair by a full three centimetres and her eyes were full of anger.

 

Mrs. Yolanda looked surprised, but she nodded and led Mrs. Stronghold to the lounge room.

 

When they were gone, Magenta let an ounce of hurt fill her voice. "Why didn't you come last night, Will?" she asked, aching and sore and sniffing, wiping her tears.

 

A few minutes later, Mrs. Stronghold returned and politely asked for her phone to talk to her son. Magenta was glad to escape so Mrs. Stronghold wouldn't see her tears or red eyes, and handed the phone over wordlessly.

 

"Get the red phone, call the first number on speed dial; we're calling a press conference," Mrs. Stronghold announced. "And get your father out of bed, would you?"

 

...

 

"The crime rate in Westville needs to be addressed so that is why the Commander and I would like to introduce our son, Airborne," Jetstream said, smiling at Will proudly and ushering him forward to the lectern's microphone.

 

"Good morning, everyone," Will said with a bright smile, looking just like his father, and wearing his super suit that consisted of blue, red, white, and _tights_. "As Jetstream and the Commander have introduced, my name is Airborne, and I'll be protecting the citizens of Westville to ensure that innocent citizens don't get attacked simply for being out at night. This initiative was definitely discussed at length and not made this morning on a whim. The Mayor has given his full support for the endeavour, and I will be working closely with Jetstream and the Commander to monitor the crime rates in Westville over the upcoming months."

 

The television screen was turned off abruptly, and Adam looked over his shoulder to see Warren glowering at the TV, the remote control melting in his hand.

 

"Dude, the remote," Adam said when he didn't seem to be aware of what he was doing.

 

Warren cursed under his breath, throwing the melted remote in to the bin. He hunted through the drawers for a spare universal remote, hoping it hadn't been the last one his mother had bought. He couldn't find one and cursed again, a bit louder this time.

 

"Looks like you'll have to use the buttons on the TV for a while, man. You look like shit, by the way. Coffee's in the pot," Adam said, turning his attention back to his phone.

 

Warren poured a generous cup of coffee for himself and sat beside Adam. "How'd you go last night?"

 

"Good, got stuff done," Adam said, grinning.

 

"Good to know. There weren't any troubles?"

 

"Apart from Craig whining about not finding one damn food cart all night. We had to swap with Ethan and Zach just so he'd shut up."

 

"No one noticed?"

 

"Nah, people were too busy with their own lives to realise that one black and one white guy changed to a different white and black guy," Adam said, shrugging. "Feel bad they had to end their date early though. Craig bitched that he couldn't carry her without sustenance, so they offered to switch. Zach's kinda weak, so Ethan did most of the heavy lifting."

 

Warren raised an eyebrow but didn't reply, sipping at his coffee instead. He noticed that Adam was typing some sort of code on his phone and wondered if that was what Honey had set up for him. He felt exhausted after his night, trying to control the flames in a building the next town over, even while he was working his shift at the Paper Lantern, but Warren didn't regret a thing. He felt satisfaction unfurl and warm his body faster than his flames or coffee ever could, and grinned over the rim of his coffee mug.

 

_If someone doesn't give me a rundown on what happened in the next five minutes, I'm going to attack all of you with the nearest plant life!_

 

Adam snorted in amusement at Layla's text via their group chat, but his amusement faded when he saw the plant on the fridge grow taller. "Fuck that, I'm answering!" Adam muttered, typing as fast as he could.

 

_Lightning hit the lamp post & road & the fire trucks were blocked._

_Emergency number was called; Will went to the scene instead of his parents - you still have to tell me how you managed to do that._

_Magenta left the restaurant via Craig's street; he mugged her and knocked her out._

_Ethan & Zach took her home._

 

Adam breathed out heavily and looked up at the fridge, relieved when the plant returned to its normal size once more.

 

 _I mentioned in class that a real superhero needs to save more than one person, otherwise it's just a fluke. An entire building full of people was too good for Will to resist. He's as easy to manipulate as ever_ , Layla replied. _Ethan, Zach, did Mrs. Yolanda say anything about you taking her home instead of Will?_

 

 _We left before she truly realised - she was too worried about Magenta to worry about us_ , Ethan replied.

 

_Good. You're all still coming to the ASL class this morning, right?_

 

 _Yes,_ they all replied, including Craig.

 

_Great, see you all soon. You were all fantastic. Can't wait for more details later!_

 

Warren opened an eye blearily when the texts stopped coming, and looked at Adam with a frown. "My phone's in the bedroom, what was all that about? Layla's emotions are all over the place."

 

"She's happy we got things done," Adam replied vaguely, turning his attention back to his phone when Nina appeared in the doorway.

 

"Oh, good, you're both awake. Coffee?" Nina asked, yawning widely.

 

"In the pot," Warren replied, closing his eyes again.

 

Adam was glad Layla had warned him to have coffee ready for both Ms. Peace and Warren in the morning. They both looked ready to fall straight back to sleep without it and he was kind of looking forward to the ASL class.

 

...

 

"Heidi's not coming?" Wendy asked, seeing Heidi in the car with Anita and Richard.

 

Ethan was still by the car, organising his things for the class and letting his parents know that he and Zach would be going to Freida's that afternoon for a study group with his friends. 

 

"Nah, she's going clothes shopping with Anita and Richard since she's hit a growth spurt and outgrown everything she owns. Besides, I'm pretty sure Heidi doesn't need lessons on sign language anyway," Zach added with a grin.

 

"I thought it'd be good to practice with her," Wendy said, shrugging.

 

"Oh. Well, Ethan's got Skype, you can practice with her on that later? She'd probably love it," Zach said, smiling brightly.

  
"All right, I'll get the details off you later, Ethan," Wendy said.

 

"Sure, not a problem. What details?" Ethan asked Zach, not having heard the conversation.

 

"Skype so she can practice signing with Heidi."

 

"That's a good idea. Maybe Heidi should start charging," Ethan said with a laugh.

 

"Don't give her ideas; she'll start charging her classmates for conversations," Zach said.

 

"Come on, guys, hurry up the pace," Craig said behind them, shoving between Ethan and Zach and putting his arms around their shoulders.

 

"Good morning to you too, Craig," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.

 

"Morning. Ready to get learning? Even though it's a weekend?" Craig added with a groan.

 

"Heidi's said that she's going to only talk to you in ASL, so if you don't learn anything, you won't be able to understand a thing she's saying," Zach said.

 

Craig pondered this as they went into the Council building and towards the meeting room that was being used for the ASL classes. "Hmm. Well, if it's for Heidi, I guess I should learn. Pretty sure any other response would have me lynched and/or set on fire."

 

"Probably both," Ethan said pointedly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

 

"True. Oh, hey, the whole gang's here," Craig said, grinning and waving at Adam.

 

"Good morning," their instructor said, smiling and indicating to the free seats around the room. "Let's get started."

 

...

 

"I am in awe right now. How the hell do you move your hands so fast _and_ understand what that means with the adjustment of a pinky finger?" Craig muttered, seeing Zach signing and correcting Ethan's hands when he signed back.

 

"Practice and necessity. Also, online videos," Zach replied, grinning.

 

"If you send me the links for those, I can organise them into an order that matches with our classes," Ethan said, trying to sign as many words as he possibly could as well.

 

"Oh, not bad with the signing. That's a good idea about the videos too," Zach said proudly, kissing Ethan.

 

"If you two get any sappier, I'm gonna hurl and I'm gonna aim it at you," Craig added over his shoulder.

 

Zach gave him the finger and kissed Ethan again. Ethan smiled against his lips.

 

" _Fuck_ ," Warren cursed, his hands lighting up in a burst of flames before they died down just as suddenly; the Council building wasn't exactly swarming with citizens on a weekend, but he'd prefer not to be seen powering up there anyway.

 

"What's wrong?" Layla asked, surprised at his outburst.

 

"I can't get my hands to work right. Is it left over right, or right over left?" he muttered, trying again.

 

"Not that I disagree with the teaching methods here, but I really think you should start with the alphabet instead. It's a longer way to sign, but I found it easier to spell words out and then learn the signs for them. Here, I wrote a cheat sheet," Ethan said, pulling a notebook from his bag and handing it over.

 

Ethan had written each letter of the alphabet and added a diagram of the hands' motion next to it, a few symbols to show the motion of fingers or hands. Warren tried a few in succession, feeling better about his ability with these at least.

 

"We're still doing a study group now, right?" Craig asked.

 

"Yeah. Frieda's offered to host it; I think Honey's picking us up in... a van," Layla said, just as a minivan pulled up, Honey waving from the front seat.

 

"This is even more embarrassing than the bus," Wendy groaned as they headed down to the van.

 

"It's the only way to get you all there in one shot. Unless you'd like to wait another hour for the bus? It looks like rain," Honey said, looking up at the blue and cloudless sky.

 

"I call shotgun!" Craig yelled, running down to the front passenger seat before the others could.

 

"I'd be fine if it rained," Wendy said, though she climbed into the back of the van anyway.

 

"Who's sitting on the floor?" Warren asked, seeing that the van was an eight-seater. With Honey, there were nine of them.

 

"I will," Donny said, standing back and waiting until everyone was seated before squishing in between the floor and door.

 

"Hmm. We shouldn't get pulled over. But if we do, then start retching," Honey said.

 

"What?" Zach asked, trying to pull his feet up off the floor and away from Donny.

 

Donny just rolled his eyes.

 

"It's a very low possibility, don't worry," Honey replied. "I might go the long way, just in case," she added, turning on the ignition and driving out of the parking lot.

 

Layla sat next to Warren in the middle seats, both of them using Ethan's cheat sheet to practice their alphabet.

 

...

 

When they arrived at Frieda's house, everyone spent a good few minutes exploring the house, eyes wide in wonder at the splendour around them. Honey grinned at their expressions, laughing outright when she heard Craig's loud gasp at the sight of the chandelier.

 

"Why didn't you tell us you're loaded now?" Craig asked, grinning at Layla.

 

"Because I'm not," Layla replied, shaking her head.

 

The doorbell sounded before they could get into a discussion about Frieda's wealth, and Layla went to answer the door. She was surprised to see _four_ food delivery people standing outside, each loaded up with bags and boxes of food.

 

"Bettendorf residence?" the first person asked, seeing Layla's surprised expression.

 

"Um, yes."

 

"Great, these are all for you," they replied, handing over their bags.

 

"Having a party?" another asked, their boxes loaded into Craig's arms.

 

"Honey said you'd need hel- _whoa_ ," Warren trailed off.

 

"It's all already paid for," the third person said, gratefully handing over three bags to Warren.

 

"Wouldn't say no to a tip though," the fourth added with a grin as he handed the last of the delivery bags over.

 

"It's next to the keys! Ten each!" Honey called out.

 

"Uh, you heard her?" Layla asked, now weighed down by the bags herself.

 

"Sure, ten each. Hey, get back up here or I'm stealing your tips!" the fourth person added, the first three running back up the driveway to get their money. "Thanks!" the fourth person called out, obviously to Honey since she was the only one who had any idea of what was going on.

 

Layla gently kicked the door shut once they'd taken their tips and left. She, Craig, and Warren headed to the dining room where the others were gathered. Layla noticed that they hadn't started on their homework yet; even Ethan was simply sitting down and not doing anything.

 

"You bought a month's worth of takeaway food?" Layla asked Honey, setting the bags down on the table.

 

"Pizza _burns_ ," Craig groaned, setting the boxes down and inspecting his red arms with a wince.

 

"Why didn't you shift?" Adam asked, surprised - Craig rarely turned down the opportunity to use his power.

 

"Because he can't. I'll wager that none of you can use your powers right now," Honey added, looking around at each of them in turn, not receiving a response. "Except you Adam, but you're just as exhausted mentally as they are with their powers."

 

"Did you overexert yourselves with your practising after school?" Frieda asked, bringing drinks in from the kitchen.

 

"Not quite," Layla said. Then, to the surprise and amazement of the others, she told Frieda what they had planned for Will and Magenta.

 

"Oh, so that's why I saw young Will in the news. I didn't know he was dating Magenta; he seemed rather enamoured with that young reporter," Frieda said.

 

Craig was staring between Layla and Frieda, his mouth hanging open. "That's it?"

 

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in looking if he's just looking - "

 

"No, not that. The other thing! People were actually hurt in the fire, and I held Magenta up at gunpoint."

 

"It was a water gun, and you're a white male in this country, you would have been fine, dear," Frieda said, patting his hand.

 

"Why are you so exhausted anyway, Lay? You didn't use your powers, did you?" Zach asked, reaching over Ethan to fill his plate with several slices of greasy pizza.

 

Warren looked at Layla with a frown when she didn't answer straight away. She was serving herself lunch from one of the Indian curry containers, handing the rice over to Wendy who was waiting patiently for it next.

 

"Thanks, Layla," Wendy said with a nod.

 

"I spent most of the night redecorating the Hive," Layla finally admitted. "I was frustrated and feeling useless; next time I'm making a plan that I'm actually participating in," she added with a small huff of annoyance.

 

"You found out where Magenta was going for her date," Ethan pointed out, taking a container of pasta salad and several slices of thick baked ham and pineapple.

 

"Did you go out last night, dear?" Frieda asked, frowning as she tried to remember if she'd heard Layla leave after they'd returned home from the Council office that night.

 

"No, I was here. I was practising from a distance. I think I overdid it a little," Layla admitted, looking down at her hands with a frown.

 

"Oh, that's wonderful. Not that you're exhausted, of course - you should always leave a little in reserve, just like money for a rainy day - " Frieda said with a bright smile, "But to have that much control over a large distance is a wonderful achievement. The same can be said for you, Warren dear; I'm very proud you were able to maintain that fire for so long _and_ while you were working," she added, and Warren ducked his head at the unexpected compliment.

 

"Thanks, Ms. Bettendorf," he said, eating a mouthful of beef and broccoli to escape any more conversation.

 

"Now, I'd like a full rundown on everything that happened. I'm sure there's more that I haven't heard," Frieda said, looking at them expectantly.

 

"Donny, why don't you and Wendy start?" Honey suggested.

 

Donny nodded and started to explain his part, Wendy adding her own comments along the way. Everyone listened intently, and Honey seemed pleased when Donny mentioned about wiping the driver's short-term memory.

 

The others continued with their contributions for the night, questions asked every so often to clarify certain events.

 

"What happened with Adam and Craig taking Magenta home?" Layla asked, scooping the last of her meal with naan bread.

 

Craig looked contrite. "I was hungry and I couldn't shift to carry her all the way through Westville to Maxville."

 

"I shifted Magenta down instead, and Zach carried us to her house in a Slurpee cup. I'm just glad he didn't drink us down," Ethan said, shuddering.

 

Honey paled at the sudden thought and accompanying vision. " _Never_ do that," she said, her words fierce enough to worry everyone, the vision disappearing almost a second later.

 

"Don't plan on it. Ethan's got more elasticity than normal water anyway, it'd taste weird," Zach said, frowning.

 

"Are you saying I taste weird?" Ethan asked.

 

"Seriously, guys?"

 

"What?" Zach asked, frowning at Wendy.

 

Craig snorted and patted him on the shoulder. "We'll tell you when you're older."

 

"Craig, shut up and pass the potato and cheese thing over," Adam said, nodding to the container near his friend.

 

"What's the magic word?"

 

"Abracadabra," Adam deadpanned.

 

Craig laughed and passed the container over to him anyway.

 

...

 

"I thought Zach went to get a drink? He's been gone ten minutes," Layla said when she looked up from her homework, realising that Zach was nowhere to be seen.

 

"Do you want me to find him?" Ethan asked, glancing over from Adam's homework to Zach's empty seat.

 

With the end of the morning and ASL class, Adam was now working on his computer, headphones plugged in and thousands of lines of code in front of him.

 

"No, it's all right, I'll look," Layla said, setting her pen down and standing up to stretch.

 

Warren watched her for a moment, eyes dark, then he returned his attention to his essay for Media for Heroes.

 

Layla touched Warren's shoulder gently as she passed, letting him know that she'd noticed his gaze. He grinned and continued working; they'd have time alone later that night.

 

"I'm just worried that the cut won't allow enough room for manoeuvrability," Zach said, drink sitting beside him on the bench and a piece of paper in his hand.

 

"You'll be surprised how much stretch you get from these sorts of materials, even the ones dense enough to stop bullets," Frieda replied. "Not as much stretch as lycra or spandex, of course, but those materials are practically ruined after one wear anyway," she said dismissively.

 

"That's what I figured; they're like the material for swimming costumes: one use and they're stretched and useless!"

 

"That's how the companies make a profit; if your swimmers are ruined after a week or two, then you're forced to go out and buy another one. Most people wouldn't consider making their own: the material's much thicker than the actual designs in stores."

 

"The polyester-nylon-lycra combo still burns too easily. It's easy to dry, sure, but there's not much point to that if Warren comes out of a fight naked."

 

"He'll certainly have news coverage," Frieda said with a laugh.

 

Layla stifled a laugh herself and headed back to the dining room.

 

"Everything all right?" Ethan asked when he saw she'd returned without Zach in tow.

 

"Yeah; Zach's working on something with Frieda," she replied, taking up her pen again to continue working.

 

Ethan was surprised at her response, but shrugged and continued to work on both his and Adam's assignments.

 

...

 

The doorbell rang loudly, startling the teenagers out of their focused mindsets and they looked around, somewhat confused at the sudden sound.

 

"It's Anita and Heidi," Donny said, sounding relieved when he realised he could hear their thoughts again. "We need to practise on our stamina more next week," he agreed with Layla.

 

She nodded and coaxed the plants along the windowsill to stand up straighter and brighter. Layla sighed in relief when they did so, a little slower than normal, but she was just pleased that they'd actually responded this time.

 

"What kind of redecorating did you do anyway, Layla?" Wendy asked, remembering why her powers were just as depleted.

 

"You'll see when we go to the Hive next; will next weekend suit everyone?" Layla asked, looking between them.

 

"Fine with me," Craig said with a nod.

 

Beside him, Adam nodded as well, and the others all agreed. Zach saw Heidi in the doorway and grinned at her.

 

"How'd shopping go?" he asked.

 

Seeing that Craig was in the room, Heidi only signed in return.

 

"I know _that's_ blue," Ethan said, repeating the motion. "What was the rest of it?"

 

"I'll tell you in the car," Zach replied, realising what his sister was doing.

 

"Looks like we'll have to learn ASL sooner rather than later," Warren said, signing hello to Heidi.

 

She smiled brightly and signed hello back, the lights overhead turning on with a dim glow.

 

"Hello, Warren. Would you like me to drop you off at work?" Anita offered.

 

"Honey's offered to drop me off, but thank you, Mrs. Damsale," Warren replied politely.

 

"I'm dropping most of you off, so start packing," Honey called out.

 

"Oh, right," Craig muttered, realising the time and hurrying to pack his things. He got Adam's attention and indicated to the time on his computer screen. "C'mon, hurry up or my sis'll freak out."

 

"I'm only going if you keep those kids away from my charger; they almost broke it last time!" Adam muttered, slinging his headphones around his neck and starting to pack up as well.

 

"Who are you talking about?" Layla asked, frowning.

 

"My twin nephews. I babysit them on Saturday afternoons so my sister can go out with her husband. Adam usually hangs around 'cause they think he's awesome," Craig said, grinning.

 

"That's 'cause I am awesome," Adam replied.

 

"Don't start or you'll _all_ be late," Honey said, looking in the dining room. "Warren, your mother's about to agree to let you stay over here tonight. Mum and Layla will pick you up."

 

Warren's ears burned red at the insinuation and he studiously ignored the wolf whistles coming from Craig and Zach. He kissed Layla's cheek and headed to the front door without a word

 

"Bye. See you on Monday," Ethan called, leaving with Zach, Heidi, and his mother.

 

Anita hurried them to the car, glancing up at the dark clouds overhead. They were gone with a squeal of rubber on asphalt, Frieda waving from the door as she finished her conversation with Ms. Peace.

 

"You've got 'til the count of five to get into the van or you'll get drenched," Honey called out. "One! Two! Three! Four," she called, Adam, Donny, and Craig running outside before they could get wet. On the count of five, a torrent of rain started to pour from the sky.

 

Wendy stepped onto the front steps under the overhanging roof, looked up at the sky and concentrated for a moment. There was a brief gap in the rain and she ran for the car without getting a drop on her. As soon as the door shut, the rain started again, a heavy torrent pouring onto the ground.

 

"You could've run out with the us," Donny said.

 

Wendy smiled. "I know. I wanted to make sure I could still use my powers," she replied.

 

"Next time, wait a few more seconds. The rain will lessen and it won't cause so much damage. You'll have to rest and recover now," Honey said, closing her umbrella as she got into the driver's seat. "I'll drop you off last so you have a bit more time," she added.

 

"Thanks, Honey."

 

Honey smiled at Wendy in the rear view mirror then reversed out of the driveway to drop everyone off to work and home.

 

...

 

End of the forty-sixth chapter.


	47. Chapter 47

Warren was as impatient for his shift to end tonight as he had been the night before. The reasons were as different from each other as chalk and cheese, of course. Tonight he would be able to spend time with Layla, for what felt like the first time in _months_.

 

The restaurant was finally empty of customers; he had cleared every table, washed every dish, glass, and piece of cutlery that had been used over the course of the night; Warren had even completed a deep clean of the stovetop, oven and rangehood since they had inspectors coming the next day. Now he was sitting on the bench in the staff area, impatiently watching the clock as the last twelve minutes of his shift ticked by. Warren was already out of his apron and had his bag slung over his shoulder, ready to head straight for the door the _second_ his shift was over. Eleven minutes and counting...

 

"Warren!" Kim called. "We have customers."

 

"What?!" Warren asked with a snarl.

 

"Customers. Get your apron on, you're still working!" Kim replied, not looking at all perturbed by Warren's tone or expression, and heading straight back into the restaurant.

 

Warren cursed under his breath, digging in his bag for his apron. _Maybe if he took long enough, these 'customers' would get so annoyed they'd leave?_ More likely, Kim would be the one annoyed: he hated it when the staff were lazy.

 

"Fuck," Warren cursed again, then grabbed his notepad and pen, heading into the restaurant.

 

His last hope that perhaps it had been Layla and Frieda, and Kim was pranking him, fell completely when he saw the group of five adults, all seated at a table and talking to each other instead of looking at their menus. He should've known: Kim didn't have a sense of humour.

 

"Are you ready to order?" he asked the group, restraining himself from looking over at the clock hanging on the wall.

 

"Oh, my. Well, aren't you handsome?" one of the women asked, smiling up at him with red lips and white teeth. Her gaze and smile looked _hungry_ and Warren had a ridiculous thought about cougars.

 

The man beside her glowered between the woman and Warren, and he noticed the matching wedding rings on their hands. Feeling uncomfortable to say the least, Warren moved so he was out of the couple's reach. As he waited, it became obvious that the group was tipsy, or perhaps well on their way to drunk; one man was trying to read the menu upside down.

 

"We're contemplating the banquet, but can we swap the honey chicken for orange duck?" one of the men asked. "Also, Dee is allergic to sesame, so can she have the chicken and corn soup while the rest of us have the black sesame soup?" he asked, nodding to the woman who had flirted with Warren.

 

"The banquet is for eight people. It takes more than two hours to cook and serve," he added.

 

"Hmm. What about banquet number two? That's only for six people. You can eat for two, can't you?" the man asked one of his companions, laughing and elbowing him.

 

"That banquet option takes more than an hour and a half," Warren said.

 

"Which one can you have ready in less than fifteen minutes then?" another man asked snidely.

 

" _All_ of the banquets take more than fifteen minutes; they're _banquets_."

 

One of the men scoffed. "As if you don't just have everything back there ready and waiting. Can't you just go and heat it up?" he sneered.

 

Warren wondered if lighting these people on fire would land him in Maxville Super Penitentiary. Then, as the cougar reached around her husband to pinch his ass, Warren decided it would be worth the jail time.

 

Just as he was gearing up to set his arms on fire, the bell on the door tinkled, indicating _more customers_ were coming inside. Warren shot a glare over at them, his angry expression fading instantly when he realised it was Layla and Frieda.

 

"Are you almost ready, dear? Your dear Grandpapa is waiting and you did promise him you'd be there for his 90th birthday party," Frieda called.

 

"I... I know. These... people arrived and are asking for a banquet," Warren replied, still on edge and not entirely sure what was going on, but hoping it would get him the hell out of there. "I'll have to be late, sorry."

 

"Oh, he has his grandfather's party to go to," one of the women murmured to her companions, eyes wide and expression downturned. "I missed my daddy's birthday party once, and then he died," she said, starting to sob her words.

 

"What if his grandfather dies?" another woman asked.

 

"Ninety is pretty old," a man added solemnly, two of the group nodding in agreement.

 

"Well, I'm hungry, and I want to stay," the cougar said, sniffing. "We're paying customers; who cares about his grandfather?"

 

"Mr. Kim? These people haven't ordered and the restaurant's been closed for two minutes now," Layla said, smiling at the man through the kitchen's serving window.

 

Kim looked from Layla to Warren and the drunk group, then nodded. If there was one thing that Kim hated more than his staff being lazy, it was customers who were lazy. Especially when the restaurant was closed and he had inspectors to worry about. "Out! All of you out!" he called, coming out of the kitchen to shoo the group out of their seats and herd them towards the door.

 

The group left, exclaiming that 'they'd never been treated like this in their lives' and 'just wait until we leave reviews on Yelp!' among other things. The cougar slipped a business card into Warren's apron pocket on her way out, sashaying her hips along the way.

 

Kim ushered Warren, Layla and Frieda outside as well, not wanting anyone in the restaurant now that it was clean. He locked the door behind them for good measure and turned off the lights. Frieda laughed all the way back to the car, and Layla walked with Warren as he pulled his apron off for the second time that night. The woman's business card floated down to the ground and Layla picked it up, frowning.

 

"What's this?" Layla asked.

 

"That blonde woman gave me her business card. She pinched my ass too," he muttered, frowning. "She had sharp nails _and_ she was sitting right beside her husband."

 

Layla looked from the business card to the direction of the citizens where they were still trying to get into their car while tipsy.

 

"What are you thinking, hippie?" Warren asked, feeling the vine brand around his wrist spinning wildly.

 

"Lots of things that mostly involve crushing the car while she's in it," Layla replied.

 

Warren smirked and pulled Layla close, pressing a kiss to her mouth. "One of her friends said she's allergic to sesame; would that suffice?"

 

"A small allergic reaction? Not really, but maybe... the air conditioning unit would do," Layla replied, threading her fingers between Warren's and squeezing as she concentrated on the cars.

 

Between their hands, the business card set alight, the ashes drifting down to the pebbled ground below.

 

Layla breathed out as she completed her task: small sesame seeds were now sprouting within the car's air conditioning unit and would continue to grow until it was filled completely.

 

"Ready to go home?" Frieda called from the car.

 

"Ready," Layla replied sweetly, tugging on Warren's hand to lead him to the car.

 

...

 

Warren slept with Layla in his arms, her body flush up against his and his hands wound around her torso comfortably. He slept and dreamed of the five people from the restaurant, their laughter and chatter as they drove through the city streets of Westville, heading for the next town where the nightlife was more easily found.

 

The blonde woman and her husband were arguing; she hadn't been as subtle about pinching Warren's ass or slipping him her business card as she'd obviously thought she had been. The man was driving, turning towards the backseat every now and then when someone decided to comment on their argument, and the car swerved to the middle of the road. He turned his attention back to the road, swerving back to the right side of the road just as a truck passed them, the horn blaring.

 

"You idiot! You almost killed us!" his wife yelled, eyes wide and red, her breathing laboured and her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

 

"We're fine, shut up," he snapped, though his heart was pounding just as wildly.

 

The car slipped into silence, the three in the back of the car feeling awkward and the two in the front angry at each other.

 

The car continued along the road, the body heat and breath from five passengers warming the interior of the car until the windows were covered in condensation and a sheen of mist.

 

"Turn the air conditioner on, would you? I can't see a damn thing," the man in the back said, rubbing at the window with his sleeve.

 

The man driving sighed and pressed the button for the air conditioner, then turned on the windshield wipers in case that would help as well. It didn't, and oddly enough, neither did the air conditioner. It spluttered and although they could all hear the rush of air, they couldn't feel it, nor did the windows clear up.

 

"What the hell?" the man muttered, his wife flipping the air conditioning vent up and down, frowning.

 

"Maybe turn it up?" one of the women suggested.

 

The man rolled his eyes. "Sure, _that_ will work," he muttered, but his wife glared at him and turned the air conditioning dial to the highest setting.

 

Slowly, air filtered out, and she smirked at her husband smugly. "That _did_ work. Good idea," she said, looking back to her friend.

 

Conversation returned to the car, the inhabitants discussing their day out, complaining about the service at their lunch, the awful movie they'd seen, the miserable weather, and quickly skipping over the horrible service at the Chinese restaurant lest the married start arguing again. Within a few minutes, the blonde wife started coughing loudly.

 

"Geez, die quietly, would you?" her husband muttered, peering out into the darkness as his headlights flickered. He frowned, turning the headlights on to the flood lights so he could see through the mist that shrouded the cold night.

 

His wife continued to cough, miserable and wheezing. He glared at her, ready to tell her to shut up again, but then he saw her face. She was red and blotchy, her face swollen and eyes red and puffy.

 

"What the fuck?" he muttered, but was promptly distracted from his wife as the car gave a lurch and he struggled to keep them on the road.

 

The engine churned and wheels screeched like they were caught on something heavy. They swerved out into the middle of the road, then the headlights turned off completely, and the car itself stopped. He desperately tried to turn the ignition on again, listening to his wife's wheezing gasps and the sound of the engine spluttering for no damn reason before dying with an awful wheezing noise that sound just like his wife.

 

 _Great, it was the middle of the night, and they were stranded in the middle of the road, stuck at the bottom of a hill_. Thinking about the exorbitant fee he'd have to pay for a tow truck _and_ a mechanic to fix whatever the hell was wrong with his car, he muttered under his breath as he tried to open the door.

 

It seemed to be stuck and wouldn't budge, even when he pushed all of his weight against it. In the back of the car, one of the men started to gasp for air, his pollen allergies playing up. The other man turned the torch app on, shining it between the two gasping passengers, both of their eyes leaking and their faces splotchy. His wife was turning a sickly shade somewhere between red and purple, which meant she was having an allergic reaction, though to what he had no idea.

 

 _Maybe that waiter had had sesame oil on his ass?_ he thought with a sneer.

 

"What the fuck is going on?" one of the women cried out, frantically trying to get out of the car herself and failing, as if a thick bar was stopping the door from opening.

 

Over the hill, they could see the bright halo of an approaching car. No, it wasn't a car, it was too loud for that. It was a truck.

 

The truck driver had no way of seeing the car, the fog obscuring everything at the bottom of the hill, and within seconds, the car was careening off the side of the road. It smashed into a tree, and in less than ten seconds, it had burst into flame with the occupants trapped inside.

 

...

 

Layla woke with a smile. _She'd had such a pleasant dream_. She turned in Warren's arms, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder, her lips curving into another smile. "Morning."

 

"Morning, hippie. Why're you so happy at... six on a Sunday?" Warren groaned, looking over at her clock.

 

"I had a great dream about that rude group who were at the restaurant last night. Their car broke down and - "

 

"Was hit by a truck," Warren said, his voice and expression unlike she'd heard or seen before.

 

Layla blinked and frowned at him. "You dreamt it too?"

 

"I don't know that it was a dream, hippie." At her confused look, he continued, "You know where all of your plants are, don't you? The aloe vera you got for Ethan?"

 

"His mother has it by the back door," Layla replied. "But I've seen that."

 

"Okay, where did my mother put the daisy you grew for her? You haven't seen that, have you?"

 

"Well, no... it's in her bedroom, on the other bedside table," Layla said, surprised. "But what's that got to do with the dream?"

 

"You know where all of your plants are at any given time and just because you were asleep, it doesn't mean that this one was any different," Warren said.

 

"You mean... I killed those people?" Layla asked, eyes wide.

 

"No, _we_ did. That fire wasn't because of the impact, y'know: cars don't usually burst into flames when they crash, that's just Hollywood."

 

Layla sat up and looked at Warren, surprised. "You did that for me, didn't you?"

 

He shrugged. "It was either that or have them survive and come to the restaurant to complain or hit on me again," Warren said, wincing. "Besides, the fire burnt away any evidence of your plant on both their bodies and the car itself."

 

Layla wasn't entirely sure how she felt hearing the words 'their bodies'. Sure, she knew she was no longer cut out to be a hero anymore, but she honestly hadn't expected to be a _murderer_ before the age of twenty.

 

"You okay, hippie?" Warren asked, feeling her turmoil of emotions from his wrist.

 

"I don't know. Are you?"

 

He shrugged. "I'm not going to admit that I like the idea they're all dead, but they were assholes."

 

"So's half of the population."

 

Warren smirked. "We can deal with them later," he said.

 

Layla laughed, clamping her hands over her mouth quickly at the sound. Warren rolled his eyes and tugged her hands free. "Just admit that they were assholes who deserved what they got; you'll feel better."

 

"They were assholes who deserved what they got," Layla repeated. "I don't feel better."

 

"Okay, why not?" Warren asked, moving to sit up.

 

Layla sat up beside him, curling up against his chest. She didn't think she could bring herself to admit what she was truly feeling, so instead she asked, "What if they didn't deserve it? What if they were good people who were just having a really bad night?"

 

"Do you want to find out?" Warren asked, reaching for his phone.

 

Layla nodded in response, though she didn't really care. Warren looked up the morning Maxville Metropolis News - **_Car crash kills five people in overnight collision; weather supers to blame?_** \- and scanned the list of names of the deceased.

 

He copied and pasted the list then sent it on to Ethan, asking him to find out who they were and, more importantly, if they had any dirt on them. Ethan replied that he'd research them that afternoon once he was home from church.

 

"I've got Ethan looking into it. Do you want to stay in here and obsess over it, or do you want to be distracted?" Warren asked with a grin.

 

"You're really not worried about this?" Layla asked.

 

"Worried? No. There's nothing to link their deaths to us, there's no way anyone will know we did anything, and my father had already killed fifteen people by the time he was my age, so it's not even that big of a deal."

 

"Comparing yourself - us - to your father isn't exactly reassuring, Warren," she replied, hoping that the comparison wouldn't continue to their own fates in cells beside Baron Battle.

 

"I set shit on fire, hippie, I don't exactly have the same world view as others. Setting the building on fire on Friday was going to have actual consequences for the people inside, or did that escape your notice?"

 

"Of course it didn't, but I knew they'd be saved then. This is different: we actually killed people last night."

 

"Are you backing out on this?" Warren asked incredulously.

 

"No! I honestly thought there'd be a bit more time between us being evil and us actually killing people. I didn't think it would just _happen_ overnight. Literally!"

 

"It's death, not a surprise party. You should know that better than anyone," Warren said.

 

Layla's eyes flashed green and she glared at him fiercely. "Don't you _dare_ bring my mother into this, Warren."

 

"You're having second thoughts, admit it!" he snapped.

 

"I'm not!"

 

"Then why do you sound like you regret it?!"

 

"Because it didn't last long enough!" she yelled in return, her chest heaving.

 

In the room around them, several plants had grown up to the ceiling, as fierce and menacing as the green glow of Layla's eyes.

 

Warren's anger faded as soon as her words registered. " _What?_ "

 

"It didn't last long enough," Layla repeated, jaw clenched as she finally admitted the truth. "I don't give a shit if they were good or bad, or somewhere in between; I wanted it to last, to make them suffer, and they were dead in less than _ten seconds_ ," she snarled.

 

Warren almost laughed, but wisely refrained. He was just relieved that Layla wasn't backing down on their plans. He held out a hand for her. "We'll have plenty of more people to practice on. Like you said: half the population's made up of assholes."

 

The plants returned to their original sizes and Layla sighed, taking Warren's hand and curling up against his chest. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. You really thought I was having second thoughts?"

 

"What else could you expect when you're asking shit about if they're _good people who were just having a really bad night_?" he mimicked, rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry for yelling too," Warren added, threading their fingers together.

 

Layla wondered if she should text Ethan to tell him not to worry about researching those people, but decided that she was kind of curious about who they were after all. She faced Warren and smiled briefly. "How were you planning on distracting me? Y'know, so I wasn't going to obsess over it all day?"

 

Warren grinned and tugged her close, pressing a heated kiss against her mouth. He moved to bite at her earlobe, then pressed a hot kiss against the pale column of her neck, sucking and biting the curve between her neck and shoulder. Warren slipped a hand under Layla's thin, worn shirt, her chosen pyjamas for the night, and cupped her breast, squeezing firmly. He kissed her again, his tongue sliding against hers, and brushed the pad of his thumb against her pebbling nipple. He barely let her respond or get used to one thing before he was moving on to the next. Warren's hands wandered down her body, caressing Layla's shoulders and down her arms, then squeezing both of her breasts firmly before he stroked the sensitive underside of her breasts with his knuckles. He moved on to stroke along her ribs before gripping her hips, her body small beneath his, his hands splayed across her skin and leaving warmth behind.

 

Layla's body arched up deliciously against his, she'd moved to kneel in front of him so she could press even more of her body against his, her chest heaving and her fingers clinging to his shoulders firmly. She was biting her lip, keeping the soft pleasured noises behind her teeth, and Warren wanted to set them free, wanted to hear those noises just for him, hear her cry out his name in ecstasy. He breathed in shakily at the thought of Layla screaming her release, of her body clenching around him tightly, the way she'd done in the tunnel at The Hive.

 

Warren ran his hands along her body once more, slowing his progress until he could feel her rapid pulse beneath his fingertips. He pressed a few hot, lingering kisses along the curve of her shoulder before moving up to whisper in her ear. "Like that."

 

"Huh?" Layla asked, breathless and confused.

 

Warren grinned and kissed her lips, leaning back against the wall. He drew Layla in closer so she was pressed up flush against his body. Layla wriggled a bit until she was comfortable, straddling his waist, one hand clutching his bicep and the other stroking along his abs. As per usual, he'd forgone a shirt for bed and was wearing a short pair of briefs so he wouldn't overheat, so his hardening response to their making out was very obvious beneath Layla. She pulled away from the pattern she was making on his neck and looked down to where she could see the waistband of his boxers peeking out.

 

"Take them off," she said, sounding breathless.

 

"I thought you wanted to wait?" Warren prompted.

 

After his mother's questions, he'd actually talked with Layla about sex and whether she did identify as asexual or not, since he hadn't asked when they first started dating. Once she'd stopped laughing at the thought of Nina bombarding her son with questions about sex and sexualities, Layla had told Warren that she was on the pill, and while she wasn't asexual, she still wanted to wait at least six months before they had sex.

 

The reasoning had been simple enough: she didn't want them to start thinking with their genitals instead of their brains, especially if they were planning on changing the world together. Layla didn't want their relationship to jeopardise their future. They could still date, make out, do the usual things they did, but she had to be certain that they'd last, not just as friends, or as boyfriend and girlfriend, or even if they were good together in bed. More important than any of that were their plans for the future. They couldn't ruin that before they'd even begun.

 

"Just because you're taking off your underwear, it doesn't mean we're going to have sex," Layla replied.

 

Warren just lifted his hips with Layla still sitting on his lap, and awkwardly tugged his underwear off. "Happy?"

 

Layla scooted back slightly until she was sitting on his legs. She looked at his cock, inspecting it curiously from several different angles. "Can I touch it?"

 

"It won't bite," he replied with a smirk, though he clutched his hands tightly in the sheets in anticipation.

 

"Good to know," Layla deadpanned, rolling her eyes. She still looked apprehensive as she reached out to touch his cock, and Warren let go of the sheets to take her hand.

 

"It's all right," he said, pressing a kiss to the heel of her palm. "Start on my thighs, work your way to my dick, if you want." Warren put Layla's hand on his thigh, watching her as she slowly started to stroke and draw patterns on his thigh, her hand stroking across his hipbones gently.

 

Warren watched Layla intently, her expressions as she elicited a noise at his sensitive spots, the way her gaze kept returning to his cock every now and again, the blush that formed on her cheeks. She continued to touch and stroke him, even going so far as to brush up against his balls before withdrawing. He felt his stomach clench at the gentle touch, and she smiled, pressing her fingertips against his clenched muscles, dancing along them lightly. Warren couldn't resist pulling Layla in to kiss her then, her hands going to his shoulders as she returned the kiss heatedly. They pulled away a moment later, his eyes dark and hers a warm brown.

 

"Do you want to keep going?" he asked, voice rough.

 

Layla licked her lips and slowly shook her head. "Not right now. Sorry."

 

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, hippie. That was fucking intense," Warren breathed, grinning his heart melting grin at her.

 

Smiling brightly in return - several daisies and roses unfurled and brightened up on the other side of the room - Layla kissed him briefly before getting off the bed. Warren missed her warmth almost immediately and he resisted the temptation to pull her back to him.

 

"Frieda will probably be up here soon. Do you want to use the bathroom first?" Layla offered, indicating to the ensuite.

 

"All right. Thanks, hippie," Warren said, standing and gathering his clothes.

 

He kissed her once more before heading towards the ensuite, not bothering to cover up, his cock hard and aching. Warren grinned, knowing that Layla was checking out his ass. He looked over his shoulder and winked at her, smirking outright when he saw her blush.

 

Warren closed the ensuite door behind him, feeling as though he'd stepped straight into a tropical oasis, plants covering nearly every spare piece of wall and tile. The shower itself was relatively free of plants, though one or two vines were curling above the shower curtain rod. Turning the taps for the shower, Warren thought of the plain and bare room that Layla had kept while at her Great Aunt's, obviously not feeling as comfortable or free as she did here with Frieda. Even parts of Frieda's house had plants growing through it, though Layla was careful not to let her plants go near anything valuable.

 

 _Using Layla's shower products was going to result in him smelling like flowers for the rest of the day_ , Warren surmised, though he found that he really didn't mind the thought.

 

It would remind him of Layla and her body, her kisses, her inquisitive and curious expressions as she spent almost half an hour touching him. He licked his lips and washed his hair. Then, deciding he needed to get off sooner rather than later, Warren used the body gel as a lubricant to have a quick wank, a soft groan escaping. He finished washing himself, turned off the taps and stepped out of the shower, accepting the towel from the flowering honeysuckle vine.

 

Stepping out of the bathroom, dried and dressed, Warren saw that Layla had made the bed and was sitting on it, scrolling through her phone. He walked over and set his things beside her, startling Layla, a vine snapping out and curling around his wrist immediately.

 

She winced when he let out a soft grunt of surprise. "Sorry."

 

"You've been working on being more aware of your surroundings, I take it?" Warren asked as the vine slid off his wrist, the thorns dropping away harmlessly. "Not exactly the route I would've taken, but it's effective."

 

Layla smiled. "I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from concentrating and drowning out everything else, so this is the alternative. Though, perhaps a warning would be better," she mused, looking at the vine before letting it return to a seed.

 

"I'd appreciate it," Warren said with a grin. "Come on, shower and we can go out for the day."

 

"Where did you have in mind?" Layla asked, hopping off the bed.

 

"The Hive; I want to see the changes you've made before everyone else gets to see them next weekend."

 

Layla pressed a kiss to his cheek, then headed to the ensuite with a laugh. "Don't lie; I know you're just worried about your kitchen."

 

 _Well, she wasn't entirely wrong about that_ , Warren thought as the ensuite door shut behind her.

 

...

 

"How exactly did you redecorate?" Warren asked, seeing that the kitchen was safe. "Besides the curtains," he added, noticing the thick vines hanging down from the top of the kitchen window and doors.

 

Layla grinned and headed towards the back door. Warren followed, watching curiously as Layla brushed a hand against the vines gently. They parted easily, soundlessly, and as Layla stepped aside, Warren's jaw dropped at the sight before him.

 

The bathroom had been a small tropical oasis, but _this?_ _This_ was Eden, a literal paradise on Earth. Warren opened the doors and headed outside, looking at the flowers and growing trees, the shrubs and ferns, the creepers and vines that teased and twirled along the roof and a side wooden lattice framework that hadn't been there the last time he'd visited. The day outside was sunny and clear and the scent of flowers was heavy in the air. Warren was surprised he hadn't smelled them coming up to the Hive. The trees were still too short to be seen over the top of the Hive, so that wasn't as much of a surprise, though Warren was sure that Layla was keeping them at a smaller height until the front trees finished growing to hide the ones here at the back. Warren turned to Layla, still in shock and awe at the amount of effort she'd put into this in just one night.

 

Layla was smiling brightly, looking so _happy_ at his reaction. "There's more," she said eagerly, taking his hand and leading him through the small forest along a path that only she and the wildlife knew.

 

Warren looked up and around them at every thing he could possibly see, the trees stretching their branches down to brush leaves against him curiously, flowers unfurling as they walked past with Layla practically skipping in joy. Warren turned his attention back to the forest when he realised it was getting darker; for all that the trees weren't tall, they were certainly dense. Looking over his shoulder, Warren saw that he couldn't even see the Hive anymore, though they hadn't been walking for that long. Layla squeezed his hand gently, then came to a slow stop.

 

Warren looked away from one fairly inquisitive apple tree - several leaves were curled in his hair - to focus on their surroundings. Warren was almost positive he could hear the trickle of a stream nearby, though he wasn't entirely sure how Layla had managed to create that in the forest as well. There were more fruit trees around, but Layla was standing in front of a weeping willow, which stood out from the other trees easily. He frowned at the sight of it, so different to the tall conifers and fruit trees they'd walked past. Layla grinned at his reaction and brushed her fingertips along the long drooping branches softly, the curtain parting for her immediately.

 

"Is that a bedroom?"

 

"Well, there is a bed, but it's not a bedroom. It's somewhere secluded and private for us to get away. The forest will distract anyone other than you or me, so this is just for us. I mean, the Hive is ours too, obviously, but when it's full with people, I figured you'd like somewhere to come and sit, or sleep, or... I'm babbling," Layla said, clamping her hands over her mouth promptly when she saw Warren's look of amusement.

 

Warren tugged her hands away and kissed her lips firmly. "I love it."

 

Layla let out a sigh of relief and kissed him, her arms winding around Warren's neck. Warren lifted Layla and held her against his body, taking a step back to steady himself when she wrapped her legs around his waist a moment later. Layla pulled away from their kiss to look down at Warren, then she grinned, the only warning before a thick-leaved fern grew up behind Warren, cushioning him.

 

"Warn me next time, hippie," Warren muttered, pulling her down to settle on his waist properly.

 

Layla wriggled to get comfortable, tilting her head when Warren groaned at the friction. "Sorry."

 

"Nothing to be sorry for. Just... distract me for a bit. I heard a stream earlier; how'd you get that here?" 

 

Layla brightened up and started talking about the forest's ecosystem, the water table, and the small trench she had created between the trees to encourage the water to turn into a natural stream. The storm the night before had added to the underground water table and helped create the stream properly.

 

"It's effectively man-made, and without regular rainfall, it's not likely that it will stay there. In summer, it will probably turn into a muddy patch at most," Layla lamented, sighing.

 

"You can't ask Wendy to help?"

 

"I think it'd be too exhausting for her to keep a storm cloud up here constantly," she replied, looking up to the tree canopy overhead.

 

Warren considered it for a moment, but decided not to press the issue. They had plenty of time to figure out things like that, after all. Warren tugged Layla so she was pressed flush against his body. Before she could do or say anything, he kissed her firmly, moving down the pale column of her throat to bite at the curve of her neck, his teeth blunt and bruising.

 

Layla's gasp had Warren pulling away almost immediately, but then he belatedly realised the feeling swirling around his vine-tattooed wrist wasn't anger or upset or some form of disgust; it was pleasure. Warren looked at Layla, fascinated to see the blush across her cheeks and the goosebumps that trailed up her arms.

 

"You liked that?"

 

Layla's enthusiastic nod was answer enough. She grinned and pulled Warren in close to kiss him firmly. He kissed her back eagerly, only a little surprised when Layla's hands slipped under his shirt, her hands splayed across his back. Warren felt Layla smile against his lips and then her nails scored lines along his back, his whole body shuddering at the pain that blossomed.

 

"Good?" Layla asked, pulling away to look at him, her lips swollen and red.

 

"Good," Warren agreed, drawing her close in again to kiss and bite at her lips, their vine and fire tattoos spinning wildly around their wrists.

 

Eventually, they had to stop for air and they pulled away slowly, kissing gently between breaths. Warren looked over at the bed, curious as to how it would feel lying on a bed made from trees, ferns, and an abundance of leaves. Layla saw his curious expression and led him over to the bed. They settled down on the leafy mattress, a blanket of light ferns covering both of them in the cool forest air.

 

Warren felt somewhat awed that Layla had created this place just for them, fruit trees surrounding them to keep them fed and a stream to keep them watered. While he knew it might have been for an ounce of privacy, Warren also knew that this small oasis was also a hiding place for them, should anything happen that required them to hide away.

 

Warren looked over at Layla and she smiled at him in return, making his heart beat a ridiculous pattern in response. "Thank you for this, hippie," Warren said, pressing one final kiss to her addicting mouth.

 

Layla snuggled in closer to his chest. "Any time," she murmured, sighing contentedly as he wrapped an arm around her.

 

Despite it being the middle of the day, they slept soundly, both knowing they were completely hidden and safe in their small paradise.

 

...

End of the forty-seventh chapter.


	48. Chapter 48

"The kitchen stool is gone," Wendy noted as she and the others hunted around the Hive, trying to determine what Layla had done to redecorate.

 

Warren was only somewhat surprised that he'd missed that detail for himself. He'd forgotten that Lisa's stool had even existed, really.

 

"Please tell me no one's missing the giant vine curtains right in front of their face?" Donny asked, rolling his eyes when they all looked to the windows.

 

" _That's it?_ A kitchen stool and some curtains? This is seriously unimpressive," Craig said, arms folded across his chest.

 

Layla grinned and nodded to the back doors where the vines were parting with a small burst of power.

 

"Holy shit. I stand corrected: this is _awesome!_ "

 

The others were outside as soon as the vine curtains opened, and Layla and Warren grinned, watching as their friends explored the mini oasis.

 

"Are these trees like the ones at the front?" Zach called, looking at the trees warily and from a safe distance.

 

"Yes, they are," Donny replied almost dreamily. He didn't wait for an answer, walking between the trees, into the small forest, and disappearing from sight within seconds.

 

"Uh, will he be okay in there?" Zach asked Layla, stepping forward.

 

"He'll be fine. And so will you, stop shaking like a leaf," Layla said, trying not to laugh when one of the trees curiously swiped down towards Zach with a long-leafed branch.

 

"Is there more, or is Eden everything you did?" Ethan asked, grinning and tugging Zach away from the overly-curious trees.

 

"There's more," Layla said.

 

"What? Where?" Warren asked, surprised.

 

"We ran out of time last weekend, remember?" Layla prompted, kissing his cheek. "You can be surprised with everyone else, just this once."

 

Warren didn't look entirely appeased, but he remembered why they'd run out of time, and nodded briefly. "Just this once," he agreed.

 

Layla grinned and took his hand, leading everyone back inside. They were all silent as Layla led them through the house, through the trapdoor, and down into the real hive below. Ethan frowned when he didn't immediately see any differences to the walls or tunnels around them. He went ahead, tugging Zach along with him, looking into one room, then the next, a smile spreading across his face.

 

"Holy shit, Lay. Did you do this for every room?" Zach asked, looking between Layla and the room.

 

There was a bed, side table, wardrobe, desk and a chair, all made from wood and possibly bamboo; Zach wasn't an expert on plants.

 

"Most rooms. A few I've left empty, others I made into entertainment areas. The next one down, Ethan," she added when he looked at her curiously.

 

"Bet you there, Popsicle," Craig said, already running down the hallway.

 

"Hey!" Ethan ran after him, changing to his liquid form and stretching out at the last second, reforming right in front of Craig.

 

"Cheater," Craig snickered, not seeming at all upset at losing the small race.

 

Ethan ignored him in favour of looking around the room: a lounge and chaise, large enough to fit five people comfortably, several armchairs, a coffee table and inbuilt bookcases that hadn't been inbuilt the last time he'd been in the Hive.

 

"Where's the TV?" Craig asked, frowning.

 

"There isn't one. I can't exactly make one out of trees," Layla said pointedly.

 

"Yeah, but there's not even _room_ for a TV," Craig pouted.

 

"Yes, there is!" Adam called from a few rooms down. "Hurry up, man. You've gotta see this!"

 

Craig was out of the room in a shot, the others following quickly. Layla sat on the lounge, Warren sitting beside her. She curled up against his chest, smiling as she listened to the others' excitement on discovering the home cinema she'd created.

 

" _I call dibs on this seat forever!_ "

 

" _Dude, it's a seat._ "

 

" _It's mine now_."

 

"You're not going to look around?" Layla asked Warren.

 

He shook his head. "I'll have plenty of time to look later."

 

They sat together, Warren's arm around Layla's shoulders and her body pressed up against his, her eyes closed as she dozed off lightly. 

 

Donny eventually made his way down into the hive, finally leaving the small forest and the trees up above. He looked into each room as he passed, curious at the changes that had been made, and eventually came upon Warren and Layla dozing on the lounge. Not wanting to disturb them, and still trying to come down from the trees' thoughts he'd been listening to for the last half an hour, Donny chose an armchair for himself and sat down to enjoy the relative silence in his own mind.

 

"Hey. I found out about those people you texted me about," Ethan said to Warren as everyone returned to the lounge room ten minutes later.

 

Warren and Layla sat up, awake and curious. Ethan let his bag slip off his shoulders and pulled out a water bottle, tipping the water out onto the coffee table. Ignoring the sound of surprise from Wendy and Craig, Ethan reformed the water into stacks of paper, notebooks, and a stray highlighter that had been melted down with the rest of the things.

 

"You've been practising," Layla said, smiling broadly.

 

Ethan nodded. "It's easier now; I don't have to concentrate so much."

 

"Ugh, when do you have time to practise? You're doing assignments for two people, on the newspaper, have as much of a social life as I do, **_and_** you're doing external practice for the ASL classes as well," Craig groaned. "There are days when I can barely function."

 

Ethan shrugged. "I've re-trained my circadian rhythm so I only need five hours of sleep."

 

"I'd die if I only had five hours of sleep," Craig muttered, looking horrified at the very idea of getting less than a solid nine hours of sleep.

 

"What did you find out?" Warren asked, redirecting the conversation.

 

Ethan handed each Layla and Warren a sheet of paper. "Adam helped me with some of the more illegal aspects, but this is as much as I could find on them. The married couple were _both_ having affairs; he was on Ashley Madison, Tinder, _and_ Grindr. She was also on Ashley Madison and used a couple of adult porn sites to get hookups when her husband wasn't home.

 

"Their friends were Sagar, Smith, and Johnson, and they weren't much better. Sagar was embezzling from her workplace; she siphoned off hundreds of thousands of dollars; Smith was in about three-hundred thousand dollars worth of credit card debt due to gambling - according to his financial records, he'd bet on _anything_ from horses and casinos to the local sweepstakes and football teams; and Johnson had an offshore account to avoid paying higher taxes and has lied to the IRS for the last five years about his income and savings.

 

Ethan trailed off when he realised that everyone - with the exception of Adam - was staring at him. "What?"

 

"We only wanted to know if they were good people or not, not their whole life stories," Layla said, her eyes wide and mouth dry.

 

"It's not their _whole_ life stories," Ethan protested.

 

"I can see the baby photos from here, Popsicle," Warren said, reaching out to hold it up.

 

Ethan shrugged. "I thought it would be better to get more than less."

 

"You certainly did that," Layla said, looking over her summary sheet to the piles and piles of paperwork that were strewn on the coffee table.

 

Warren had taken up the financial reports from Sagar and Johnson. "Do the police know about these?"

 

Ethan shook his head. "They're still trying to determine how the accident happened, I think. They'll start on the people's backgrounds soon though," he added.

 

"Good. Adam, I need you to modify Sagar's transactions: combine them to slightly larger amounts, but keep it under ten-thousand for tax purposes. Sagar was smart, she wouldn't make an easy mistake like that. Change the transactions to be made within the last three months, and the largest amount needs to be in the last week. If we make it look like these people were killed because of embezzling, the police will assume the others were killed as innocent bystanders, and they won't know what really happened."

 

Adam nodded, typing out Warren's instructions on his phone as fast as possible. "So what really happened?" he asked curiously, Ethan watching Warren and Layla intently.

 

"We killed them. Mostly by accident, but that doesn't mean that I regret it _or_ that I want to be imprisoned for it," Layla said.

 

"I assume no one knew about Johnson's offshore accounts?" Warren asked Ethan, not allowing anyone time to dwell on the fact that they'd admitted to the murder of five citizens.

 

Ethan thought for a moment. "Johnson spent ridiculous amounts of money on things, but he came from a wealthy family, so no one would think it was his. The account is registered under his mother's maiden name, not Johnson," he added.

 

"Good. You've got all the documentation with his signature?" Warren asked, Ethan nodding firmly and handing him the relevant bank statements. Looking it over for a moment, Warren grinned at the sight of all of those zeroes. "Adam, set up a new account for all of this money to be transferred into, along with the rest of Sagar's money. Preferably offshore if you can; we won't want to be picked up on tax fraud any more than Sagar or Johnson would have.

 

"Congratulations on your newest asset, Mr. Phillips," Warren added to Ethan, handing the statements back to him.

 

" _W-what?!_ There's over... There's a _lot_ of money in that bank account," Ethan said, his eyes wide.

 

"There's about to be even more," Adam snorted, already starting on his own task to transfer Sagar's money to the account.

 

"And we'll trust you'll be responsible with it," Layla interjected, Ethan straightening up and his chest puffed out at the responsibility and praise.

 

"Of course."

 

"We can buy a projector for the cinema, right?" Zach asked, Craig nodding and vocalising his agreement instantly.

 

Ethan rolled his eyes. "It's nice to see you both have your priorities straight."

 

"What else would we get?" Craig asked.

 

"The material for our super suits, duh," Wendy said, shaking her head.

 

Zach sighed. "Fine. But we can get the projector afterwards, right?"

 

Donny's phone chimed with an incoming text and he looked at his phone. "Honey says there's a few organisations she owns that we can use as fronts to transfer the money. She also has three hostile takeovers for some businesses that she'd like to discuss with Ethan and Adam when they're both available."

 

"Get Honey to send me the list of businesses and their banking accounts. Ethan can set the appointment up for both of us," Adam said, not looking up from his phone.

 

"Holy shit. We're really doing this, huh?" Zach asked, grinning around at everyone.

 

"You didn't think we were here for the fun of it, did you?" Wendy asked.

 

"It's different talking about something than actually doing it," he replied, not at all perturbed by her acerbic tone.

 

"We have to start heading back; the bus is going to be ten minutes early," Donny said, leaving the lounge room and heading upstairs.

 

Layla tugged on Warren's hand to keep him back as the others filed out. When they were alone, Warren looked at her curiously. Layla smiled broadly and kissed him, firm and hard, her nails scoring lines down his sides and making Warren shudder against her. It was kiss that encompassed everything Layla couldn't say: _thank you_ and _holy hell, you were hot_ and _I can't believe we're actually doing this!_ The kiss was hot and hard and bruising, and Warren felt Layla's desire pulsing from the vine on his wrist, sending small shockwaves along his arm and through his body. His own desire pooled in his stomach and Warren nipped at Layla's bottom lip as she pulled away slowly and reluctantly. Layla grinned at the sight of Warren's messy hair, the dark look in his eyes, and the swollen red lips that stretched into a warm smile. She kissed him once more, slow and soft this time.

 

"Come over tonight after work," Layla whispered against his lips.

 

"Anything you want, hippie," Warren murmured, his lips brushing against hers with his words.

 

Layla smiled and led Warren out of the hive and upstairs, ignoring Craig's wolf whistle when they finally appeared above ground, obviously having spent the last few minutes kissing.

 

"Shut up. Everyone ready?" Warren asked, grabbing Layla's bag and shouldering it, then heading out with Layla to the front porch and down the stairs.

 

"You're not going to lock up?" Ethan asked, adjusting his bag, which had all of the paperwork and documentation melted down and hidden in a water bottle again.

 

"No one will ever get close enough to get inside," Layla said certainly.

 

"If they go through the trees, yeah, but what about from the air? Jetstream's not the only super who can fly," Wendy pointed out, frowning.

 

"That will only be an issue for the next two weeks. No one should be flying in or out of Maxville over this area in that time," Layla said, knowing that her trees would grow tall enough to create a canopy that would hide the Hive from view.

 

Beside Ethan, Zach muttered and ducked as a few trees reached for him, leaves and branches trying to tug at his bright hair. Craig laughed, then realised what Layla had said. "Uh, Super Heroes Day is coming up?"

 

"There will be at least five supers flying in, and three of them live in a direction that will take them over the outskirts of Maxville and close to the Hive," Ethan added in explanation.

 

"Shit," Layla cursed under her breath; she hated Super Heroes Day.

 

"Don't worry, I already solved that issue two weeks ago," Adam said.

 

"How?" Warren asked.

 

"One of my first tasks with my extracurricular work was to set up a no-fly zone for commercial and private planes, as well as supers with flight. I figured the Hive would need as much protection as it could get," he said, shrugging.

 

"You're brilliant, Adam. Thank you," Layla said with a smile, resting a hand on his arm gently.

 

Adam nodded and looked a little shy as he smiled back at her. "Thanks."

 

"The bus is almost here," Donny called, seeing the bus in the distance, all of them jogging for the stop so they wouldn't miss it entirely.

 

The driver pulled the bus up to the stop, a little surprised to see a group of kids out in the middle of nowhere with nothing around. Frowning at the group, who tagged their bus cards onto the automatic swipe system as they boarded, the driver looked out at their surroundings again, trying to determine what they'd been doing.

 

"Thank you for stopping for us, sir. How has your route been so far?" Ethan asked politely, drawing the driver's attention.

 

 _If they were drug addicts, they were sure as hell nicer than the last lot who'd been on the bus_.

 

"Not bad. What're you lot doing out here?" the driver asked.

 

There was a moment of silence, broken by the chime of a phone alert, and then Donny spoke up. "Volunteering at the beekeeper's just a bit further down the road," he added, indicating to where the top of the trees could be seen.

 

The driver squinted at the trees. "Huh. Never seen those before. There's a beekeeper there, you say?"

 

"Yes. It's called the Hive," Layla said with a pleasant tone and smile.

 

"Hmm... Any chance of fresh honey?"

 

"Uh, maybe in a few weeks. The bees are still getting settled in."

 

"Floral or iron bark? Or manuka?" the driver added.

 

"I'm hoping for all three," Layla replied, sitting on the front seat near the driver as the others continued towards the back, escaping while they could. "You know much about honey?"

 

The driver seemed pleased at her question and the prospect of company, and chatted Layla's ear off for the rest of the trip, telling her about the three-hundred different types of honey they'd gone all over the US to try. The half-hour bus trip seemed to be over in minutes, and the driver looked a little disappointed that they were leaving so soon.

 

"See you next week," Layla said with a warm smile, leaving the bus after her friends.

 

The driver waved and continued on their route, a little happier for the pleasant company.

 

...

 

Honey met them at the bus station parking lot, waving from her minivan. Wendy looked as pleased as ever about the prospect of riding in a minivan, but smiled genuinely when she saw Heidi sitting in the front seat.

 

"Hi Heidi, you look nice," Wendy said, trying to include the proper ASL hand motions along with her words.

 

Heidi beamed at her progress and compliment, and thanked Wendy, looking to the bright blue skirt, white shirt, and green jacket she was wearing. Heidi asked a question in return, her hands slow as she spelled out each letter for her friend's benefit. 

 

"Hey, I think I got that," Craig said, sounding as surprised as he looked. "You asked how our trip was, right?"

 

"Yes. Good!" Heidi said, grinning.

 

"Heh, cool. How do I say 'I am awesome'?" Craig asked.

 

"Shut up, Craig. What are you doing for Super Heroes Day, Honey?" Wendy asked as they headed over to her van.

 

"My mother's hosting lunch. Act surprised when she invites you," Honey said, then paused as she put her seatbelt on. "Not _that_ surprised, Zach."

 

Zach stopped making exaggerated faces of surprise and shock, and grinned apologetically. "Right, sorry."

 

"Dork," Wendy snorted, rolling her eyes.

 

"Heidi, why don't you show everyone what we bought?" Honey asked as she started to drive out of the parking lot and towards the Paper Lantern.

 

Heidi smiled and reached for a bag at her feet. She pulled out a rectangular box and held it up above her head for everyone to see.

 

"Are those Christmas lights?" Ethan asked, frowning.

 

"Yep. Watch this," Honey said with a grin. "Two blue."

 

As they watched, two of the blue lights in the box lit up brightly.

 

"Oh, no way! Heidi, three red," Craig said eagerly, getting her attention and even including the ASL signs he knew.

 

Heidi grinned and three red lights lit up almost immediately.

 

Craig laughed at the sight. "That's freaking _awesome_."

 

"One blue, two green," Ethan said.

 

Two blue and one green light lit up, and though no one cared about the small mistake, Heidi didn't look happy with herself. She tried again and the right combination lit up this time. Nodding firmly at her success, Heidi looked to the others for more combinations.

 

"Green, red, white. One of each, blinking," Layla said.

 

Heidi's head tilted to the side as she considered it; she hadn't tried to make the lights blink yet. She nodded, lowered the box so she could see the lights better, and concentrated. Four minutes later, Heidi lifted the box with one green, one red, and one white light blinking on and off in a controlled movement.

 

"All right, let Heidi rest for a moment," Honey called as they pulled into the Paper Lantern.

 

"Thanks for the ride, Honey. See you tonight," Warren said to Layla, kissing her briefly.

 

"Have a good shift," she replied.

 

Warren nodded and headed to the staff entrance. Honey barely waited for him to get inside before leaving the parking lot once more.

 

"Sorry, but there's going to be a traffic jam. We'll be lucky if we miss it entirely," Honey called when a few people made noises of surprise at her sudden departure.

 

...

 

Getting stuck in a traffic jam became boring quickly. Heidi became tired, too excited and using too much power, so they couldn't keep playing the light game. Donny threatened to throw both Craig and Zach out of the minivan if they kept saying 'I'm thinking of a number between one and ten'. Ethan threatened to melt Donny down if he kept threatening Zach. Adam ignored everyone, still working on his phone, and Wendy pretended that she didn't know any of them. Layla closed her eyes and wished she was with Warren at the Paper Lantern instead.

 

"What's caused the traffic jam anyway?" Craig asked, trying to look over Honey to the road ahead.

 

"Car collided with a truck. Everyone keeps slowing down to look and they're causing the cars behind them to get jammed," Donny reported.

 

"All of these superpowers and nothing to help with traffic jams," Zach said, sighing.

 

"What kind of superpower would help with a traffic jam anyway?" Ethan asked curiously, thinking about the answer even before he'd finished asking the question. "Oil, ice, and water are too dangerous, only idiots would drive faster. Fog wouldn't work either."

 

"What about tilting the road downwards?" Craig suggested.

 

"Hmm, no. That would only work for people already on that side of the road, but even then, they could spend most of the trip with their brakes on."

 

"What about wind?" Donny asked.

 

Ethan frowned. "It could work; it depends which way the wind's blowing, of course, and also how fast. People tend to go against the wind if it's too strong, which could cause accidents if it died down suddenly."

 

"How fast?" Wendy asked.

 

"Something slow to start off with, so people wouldn't notice it. Maybe five knots, then up to ten when they're actually on their way," Ethan suggested.

 

Wendy smiled. "You've got it."

 

"Wait, what?"

 

Wendy didn't reply. Outside of the car, they could all see a soft breeze starting to pick up. It flowed over the road easily, taking stray clumps of grass and the rubbish that people had thrown out of their cars. The wind pushed at the cars gently, the people towards the front starting to drive that little bit faster. Behind them, other cars started to drive forward as well, the drivers concentrating on the road rather than the accident.

 

"All right, stop now, Wendy," Honey said from the front seat.

 

Reluctantly, Wendy did as she was told. "I could've kept going."

 

"I know. If you had, then you would have blown away some vital evidence for the collision," Honey said as they passed the scene themselves.

 

They saw a smashed windscreen, blood smeared on the glass, and then it was gone from sight.

 

"Ethan, I'll drop you, Zach, and Heidi off first, okay? Wait until after the eight o'clock news to write anything about the crash," Honey said, turning off at the next exit to get to the Damsales' home.

 

"All right. I've got to finish Adam's essay for tomorrow morning anyway," Ethan said.

 

"Good, concentrate on that," Honey said with a smile.

 

Arriving at the Damsales' home a few minutes later, they all said their goodbyes. Heidi was out of the minivan in a matter of seconds, clutching the lights to her chest. Ethan was out next with Zach following. He managed to step on Craig's knee along the way. Craig cursed at him, Donny slamming the door shut before Anita could hear his words.

 

Honey waved to Anita from the driver's seat, trying not to laugh at the inventive curses Craig was spouting, and then headed to Wendy's house.

 

Eventually, Layla and Honey were the last two left, and Layla moved to the front seat. Honey grinned at her and nodded to the radio. "Feel free to pick a station. Avoid country if you don't want to listen to me singing off-key."

 

"All right, thanks for the warning," Layla said with a grin, turning the radio on and settling on a classic rock station. "How was your day?"

 

"Not bad. Sarah and Jared are coming over for dinner tomorrow, so I spent most of today cooking up a storm. They're going home with about three weeks' worth of food."

 

"Why?"

 

"Sarah does an amazing job looking after me and my businesses, but she has an unfortunate habit of not looking after herself. Sarah and Jared pretend to be adults, but they never remember to do grocery shopping and it's far too easy to eat junk food every night of the week with all of this modern conveniences. This way, I know they're getting at least three vegetables and some fruit. I mean, it's baked into pastry, but it's better than nothing," Honey said with a grin.

 

"I'd be happy to provide fresh fruit and vegetables, if you'd like?"

 

Honey thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, that would be good. How about a bunch of black grapes and red delicious apples?"

 

"Not a problem," Layla said with a smile, closing her eyes and concentrating on the grape vine that wove around the lattice on Frieda's back porch and the apple tree seeds she'd planted in the garden two weeks ago.

 

By the time they arrived at the Bettendorf residence, Frieda had already collected the grapes and apples.

 

"One minute I was washing the dishes and the next, I see this shadow growing in the backyard! I almost had a heart attack," Frieda said as they came inside.

 

"Sorry, Mother, that was my fault," Honey apologised.

 

"Mine as well; I'll text you before I grow something next time," Layla said.

 

"It's not all that bad; I ate quite a few grapes and an apple for myself," Frieda said with a quick smile. "I'm sure you were saving some, so I washed them and set them aside. Will Warren be over tonight?"

 

"The grapes and apples are for Sarah and Jared," Honey said, taking the bowls her mother had put the fruit in. "I'll bring the bowls back, along with Warren."

 

"That's very kind of you. Stay for dinner, dear, you look hungry."

 

Honey set the bowls back down. "All right, but I have to leave by eight-thirty."

 

Frieda nodded. "I'll set an alarm for you, dear. Now, I have a Mongolian black bean stir fry, honey chicken and rice, or a vegetarian lasagne."

 

"Honey chicken, please."

 

"Mongolian stir fry, please. Would you like any help?" Layla offered.

 

"I can manage to carry a few bowls, dear," Frieda said with a smile. "But you can organise drinks, if you'd like."

 

"Water for me, please," Honey said, already organising the cutlery for everyone.

 

The table was set in a matter of minutes, the food heated and served soon afterwards. Layla ate her food with gusto, not realising how hungry she was until the food was in front of her. Frieda and Honey had a conversation about the latest edition of _Labyrinth_ , their words washing over Layla as pleasant background noise.

 

Frieda's alarm sounded at quarter past eight and Honey left with the bowls of fruit and a promise to return by ten-thirty with the bowls and Warren.

 

"Thank you for dinner, Frieda. I have some studying to do; is it all right if I work downstairs?"

 

"Of course, dear. I'll work on my knitting, if you don't mind an old woman keeping you company?" she asked.

 

"You're not old, Frieda. And I'd love your company, thank you."

 

Frieda made a noise somewhere between a scoff and snort. "Thank you, dear, you're very kind to say that, but today I _feel_ old and therefore, I am allowed to be an old woman."

 

Layla wanted to argue again, but didn't know what to say, so she simply nodded. "All right. I'll be back soon with my homework," she said, taking their empty dishes to the kitchen before heading upstairs.

 

Layla worked on the essay she'd started the day before during the study group, the steady clicking noise of Frieda's knitting needles in the background surprisingly soothing. Layla flicked between her essay, book, and laptop to find appropriate information to back up her work about All-American Boy's own heroic deeds before, during, and after being the Commander's sidekick.

 

By the time Layla was pleased with the sources she'd found and the overall outline of her essay, Honey and Warren came in through the door. Frieda fussed over Warren and fixed him dinner - he had the lasagne - and Honey washed, dried, and put away the fruit bowls.

 

Warren sat beside Layla once he'd finished inhaling his dinner, his eyes closed in exhaustion.

 

"Are you all right?" Layla asked, worried.

 

"Four banquets for groups of eight, and two birthday parties. I'm wiped," Warren groaned.

 

Layla kissed his cheek. "Go on upstairs, I'll pack up and be there soon," she said.

 

Warren nodded and left without protest, the prospect of bed far too enticing.

 

Honey looked in a moment later. "See you next week, Layla."

 

"See you then. Have a good week at work," she replied, smiling.

 

"Thanks, you too," Honey said as she left, calling out a final farewell to her mother and Warren.

 

Layla finished tidying her notes, saved her work and turned off her laptop, and then headed upstairs to where Warren was already asleep. After finishing her nightly routine and brushing her teeth, Layla slipped into bed next to Warren, curling up against his chest and tugging his arm around her body. Warren didn't even stir.

 

...

End of the forty-eighth chapter.

Thanks for reading!


	49. Chapter 49

**_Super Heroes Day!_ **

The obnoxious banner was strung above of the stage, both decorated with the usual colours of Jetstream and the Commander: red, white, and blue. The park was decorated in the same way, from the balloons to cakes and pies, to the tablecloths and the wrapping on individual chairs facing the stage. The Mayor was standing in front of the lectern, the microphone amplifying his words about _Courage_ and _Heroism_ and _Superheroes_ and _Saving The Day_.

Super Heroes Day was, of course, a national holiday. Not even villains dared to destroy the sanctity of the day; it was the one day of the year where both citizens and superheroes could relax and know that they wouldn't be attacked.

Layla switched the TV off at the Mayor's introduction of the Commander and Jetstream (and, belatedly, Airborne). She had no interest in seeing the Strongholds on her day off.

"Think we should have a Super Villains Day?" Warren asked, smirking at Layla.

"We'll have our own day of celebration, but it won't be as tacky as today," she replied certainly.

Warren's smirk broadened and he kissed Layla, lips firm and warm against hers.

There was a sound of fake gagging and they pulled away to see Nina standing in the doorway. She stopped making noises and grinned at them. "If you two have finished sucking face, we have a lunch to get to, remember?"

"We'll be right out," Layla promised, leaning down to tug her shoes on and do up her laces.

"Two minutes," Nina called over her shoulder as she headed to the front door.

Beside her, Warren tied his boots in record time and then splayed his hand across the small of Layla's back, smirking when he saw her shiver and goosebumps cover her arms. "We could skip lunch," he offered, stroking up and down her spine lightly.

"Frieda's worked very hard on this lunch for everyone," Layla breathed out, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself as much as him. "I need more self-control than this," she said, her eyes flashing green. In the same instant, her goosebumps disappeared.

Warren groaned and sat back, his head hanging over the couch. "You go ahead, I'll be out in a second."

Layla squeezed his knee gently and left, her bag slung over her shoulder.

When he was alone, Warren held out his palms and let two balls of fire form. He looked at them for a moment, then pushed all of his desire and attraction, his lust and hunger, into those flames. They immediately burst up into a bright white flame, dying down to a strong and steady blue flame a moment later. Warren exhaled and watched the fierce flame, trying to expel as much excess emotion as possible. When he felt calmer and more in control, Warren snuffed out the two fireballs, then followed after his mother and Layla.

...

"If you get caught in the chandelier, I'm leaving you there!" Cara called after her brother.

Craig just laughed in response and flew a little higher, keeping a firm hold on his nephews. He had shifted to Jetstream's form and was trying to use increase his stamina with Jetstream's power while there were no citizens around. "Your mother's just being mean, isn't she?" he cooed at his nephews, grinning.

"Craig, get down from the ceiling or you really will get caught in the chandelier," Honey called.

Craig sighed and pouted but flew down to the ground carefully. "I wonder if Jetstream has the same problem with chandeliers?" he snickered as he shifted back to his normal self.

Cara glared. "Don't talk like that, you sound like a villain."

"Aw, c'mon, sis. It's just a question. She really could have a problem with chandeliers; y'know, like birds not being able to see glass windows?"

"I don't care, Craig; it's not funny," Cara snapped, taking the twins from him and heading out to the backyard.

Craig silently mocked his sister, pulling a face as he headed after her.

Adam rolled his eyes when Craig joined him. "Dude, _try_ to be a bit more subtle, would you?"

Craig snorted. "Dude, there's a lot of things people can call me, but _subtle_ ain't one of 'em."

"No shit."

Seeing the plate of food that Adam held, Craig looked around quickly. "Dude, where'd you get the pigs in a blanket?"

"They're over by the cheese cubes," Adam said, nodding to the table of food and drinks that had been set up.

A large cake covered a quarter of the table, the rest covered in an assortment of foods and drinks that would be enough to feed them all twice over.

"Awesome! You want a drink?" Craig called, already heading towards the food table.

"I'm good, thanks."

"Do they taste okay?" Zach asked Adam, nodding to his plate.

"Does what taste okay?" Adam asked; he had more than one type of food sitting on his plate.

"Oh, the pigs in a blanket. I used vegan sausages; no one's said anything yet, but..." he trailed off, shrugging.

"Yeah, they taste fine. I thought they were hot dogs," Adam admitted. "Wait, you made them?"

"Uh, yeah. They're really easy to make, but I did go a little overboard," Zach admitted, looking over to the three plates he'd filled; there were more sitting in the kitchen.

"Did you make anything else?"

"Everything except the cake; that's Honey's, of course. Oh, and the drinks. Frieda let me use her kitchen all morning. I cook when I'm stressed," Zach added in explanation, though Adam probably could've worked it out for himself with the way Zach was wringing his hands.

"Dude, don't worry about it. I stress eat, so let me know when you're stressed next time, okay? Why're you stressed anyway?" he asked, popping the last of the pastry in his mouth and chewing.

"I thought everyone knew... I, uh, Mrs. Damsale's organising to become guardians for me and Heids. I'm just... I'm worried it'll go wrong, or something will happen and we'll have to go back to Mum and Dad, and... just, y'know, stressed in general."

Swallowing, Adam nodded. "I'd heard Mrs. Damsale talking about it; I didn't know it was happening already. It'll be fine, dude. Frieda's got her lawyer doing all the work; I don't think she's the kind of person who gets things wrong," he said with a grin.

Zach sighed. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean it still won't go wrong."

"If anything does go wrong, you've got like five people who'll put you and Heidi up until it can go right again, okay? Nothing'll go wrong," Adam said, nudging Zach with his elbow.

"What're you two looking so intense about? Dude, have you had these yet? They're freaking amazing," Craig said, brandishing one of the pigs in a blanket in Zach's face.

Adam laughed. "Dude, you seriously got a whole plate?"

"Well, yeah. I'm not missing out, and there's two more plates for other people," Craig said, grinning as he ate another one.

Zach brightened up when he saw that Craig really did have a full plate of his food; in fact, he seemed to have taken the serving plate itself. Ethan called Zach over, Heidi waving beside him. Zach grinned when he saw his sister playing with Toby, Snowball, and Ari. "I'd better go save the dogs from being snuck out under my sister's jacket. Thanks," he added as he left.

"Dude, that was _nice_ of you. I'm concerned," Adam said, raising an eyebrow.

Craig paused mid-bit and frowned. "What was nice?"

"You mean you didn't listen to our conversation?"

"Uh, no. Why, what happened? Any juicy gossip?" Craig asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Oh, and you're gonna get sick if you eat that whole plate."

Craig shrugged and ate another one. "Worth it."

"Excuse me everyone, if I can have your attention?" Frieda called out, conversations stopping as everyone looked to her, curious as to what was going on.

Before Frieda could continue, Honey flicked Craig on the ear. "Ow, what was that for?!" he cried out, holding his ear.

"You know what it was for," she said. "Sorry, Mum. Go on," Honey added quickly.

Craig muttered under his breath; he'd only been _wondering_ how many pigs in a blanket he could fit in his mouth at once, it wasn't like he was really going to do it!

Frieda seemed amused at the interruption, but returned her attention to the small crowd. "I wanted to say thank you for joining me today; it's so lovely to have such wonderful friends."

(Somewhere in the crowd, Warren was trying to avoid Frieda's friends Hyacinth and Edith; they had already called him cutie _twice_. Layla was trying not to laugh out loud at her boyfriend's expression.)

"Today is, of course, Super Heroes Day, but it's also another cause for celebration," Frieda said, smiling as she waved Layla to stand beside her. "The courts have officially signed the adoption documents, and Layla is now legally my daughter."

"Thank you, Frieda. I couldn't ask for a better adoptive parent," Layla said, smiling as a few people cheered and clapped, Craig and Zach whistling loudly.

In the garden around them, the flowers opened up with sweet scents, and the leaves on the trees became shiny and greener than ever before.

Despite her threats and intentions, Greta hadn't made the process difficult at all. In fact, she seemed rather scared during the adoption process, and had all but run out of the courthouse once it was over. Layla hoped that Honey would tell her exactly how she'd threatened Greta sooner rather than later.

...

The party ended after a few hours, everyone going home with containers of leftover food and cake. Frieda promised Zach the use of her kitchen any time he needed it, and Zach thanked her with a quick hug. Heidi stuffed two cheese cubes in her cheeks and signed to her brother, Ethan chuckling when he realised she'd said she was a squirrel. Zach kissed Ethan's cheek and then ruffled his sister's hair, running out of the house when she glared at him.

"See you on Monday, Layla, Warren!" Ethan called out, hurrying after Zach and Heidi.

"Thank you for the lovely lunch, Frieda. Are you sure we can't help clean up?" Anita offered.

"Not to worry. I have a dishwasher for that very reason," Frieda said, waving off her offer. "Have a safe drive home."

"Thanks, Frieda," Richard said, grabbing a few more containers and adding them to their bags while Anita wasn't paying attention.

Frieda tried not to laugh and waved him off as well. Honey came into the kitchen after Richard had left, sorting through the containers to find one for herself.

"Ari's already in the car, so I'll have to go sooner rather than later. Sorry I can't stay longer, Mum," Honey said, kissing Frieda's cheek.

"Not a problem, dear. I'll see you next week for dinner?"

"See you then," Honey said, smiling. She called out goodbye to Warren and Layla as she left.

Realising that neither Warren nor Layla had answered any of their friends' farewells, Frieda went looking for them to see if they were all right. Finding Nina in the doorway of the lounge room, Frieda looked inside to see Warren and Layla dozing side by side on the lounge.

"Warren can stay here if you'd like? He has the night off, doesn't he?" Frieda asked.

Nina nodded. "Mrs. Woo put Kim and Ronnie on tonight's shift; Warren's working a double shift tomorrow instead."

"I can take him to work, dear. You go and have a night off," Frieda said, leading Nina to the front door. "You've got all of your goodie bags, yes? Enjoy them."

Nina was at the front door by the time she conceded defeat. "Thank you, Frieda. Call me if anything goes wrong; I can be here in fifteen minutes."

"Everything will be fine, dear. Have a good night," Frieda said, waving Nina off. When she was gone, Frieda headed back to the lounge room. "When you're both awake, you can load the dishwasher for me as a thank you."

Layla's laughter turned into a snort of amusement. "Thank you, Frieda."

"Not a problem, dear. Next time, just ask."

Warren grumbled something under his breath and pulled Layla close, tucking her against his chest. The dishes could wait.

...

"Zach, if you don't calm down, you're going to blind everyone in here. Breathe, okay? You'll be fine," Ethan said, taking Zach's hand and squeezing gently.

Zach clung onto his hand tightly. "You don't know that! You _can't_ know that, not for sure! Even Honey doesn't know, or she won't tell me, at least," Zach said, his leg jittering.

Ethan sighed and waved to Heidi to get her attention. "Tell Zach he's an idiot."

Heidi frowned at the request, reading his lips since Ethan found it difficult to sign with one hand, but shrugged and signed as much at Zach.

"Betrayed by my own sister," Zach said, still a little too nervous to be overly dramatic.

Heidi shrugged again and signed at him, telling Zach he was making her eyes hurt and to stop glowing already.

Two loud chimes sounded and Zach almost fell over in his rush to stand up to grab his phone.

Ethan was almost pulled off the seat as well, then sat down and pulled Zach back with him. "Stay here; I'll get our phones, okay?"

"Okay... Look and tell me what it says. No, wait. I don't want to know."

Heidi rolled her eyes and flicked Zach's ear, then signed that he was an idiot again.

Ethan returned with their phones and handed Zach's to him. "Here; we'll read them at the same time, okay?"

Zach hung his head and sighed. "All right."

Ethan and Zach opened their phones at the same time, reading the text message they'd received. Beside Ethan, Zach blew out a long and exaggerated sigh of relief. Heidi hit his hand so she could read the screen too, smiling brightly at the text.

"What'd you get, Eth?" Zach asked, frowning when he saw that Ethan was in a state of shock.

Ethan handed him the phone wordlessly.

"You passed everything with top marks?! Holy shit, Eth. I mean, I knew you were smart, but this is... this is like, Mad Professor smart! Whoa," Zach said, grinning broadly. "So proud of you," he added, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

Heidi pulled a face - that was her _brother, ewww_ \- but she waved to get Ethan's attention. "Congratulations, Ethan."

He smiled briefly and signed 'thank you' in response, Heidi grinning. "It's only midterms; it's not even the end of the year," Ethan said, biting his lip anxiously. "It'll be posted on the school board on Monday; whoever's in second place is going to want to beat me, so I'll have to work harder to stay on top."

Zach snorted. "You can be on top if you want."

Ethan nudged Zach sharply. "Your sister's right there."

"I'm leaving," Heidi said, pulling another face and flicking her brother's ear before leaving the lounge room.

"What did you get?" Ethan asked.

"One C, and the rest are B's. All of our studying's been helping. I _seriously_ thought I was gonna fail Mad Science," Zach said, glowing brighter on reading his grade.

They both received messages in their group chat from Layla and Warren asking how they went. Zach proudly told them of Ethan's top marks, asked how they did, and then added his own grades as an afterthought.

Layla: _Congratulations, guys; that's awesome! A few A's, but mostly B's and a C for English after I failed that assignment earlier in the year; I'll have to catch up for finals_.

Warren: _I got all A's. Nice work, both of you_.

Zach gaped. _How the hell did Warren get all A's while working?_ He sent as much in a text, followed by a string of surprised and stunned emojis.

Warren: _Just because I wear a leather jacket, it doesn't mean I'm an idiot, glow stick_.

Layla: _Warren reads a lot. I'm pretty sure the only reason he comes to Frieda's is so he can read every book in her library_.

Ethan: _Ms. Bettendorf has a library?!_

Layla: _Uh, yeah. I thought you'd seen it already?_

Warren: _He'd still be in there if he'd seen it_.

Ethan: _Next study group is at Layla's!_

Wendy: _I thought my place was next? Also, congrats on the marks. B-grade average for me. Donny's still waiting._

Ethan: _But... the library?!_

Layla: _You can just come over and visit, you know._

Craig: _You never invited me over to visit!_

Adam: _There's a reason for that, dude._

Craig: _Which is?!_

Adam: _You eat everyone's food_.

Craig: _I have a very healthy metabolism._

Adam: _With the crap you eat, 'healthy' isn't the word I'd use_.

Craig: _Whatever. Pass me the Doritos?_

Adam: _Seriously? They're right next to you._

Layla: _How'd you go with midterms?_

Adam: _Craig got a C-grade average. Mine's B's._

Warren: _You've got to do better than that, Craig_.

Craig sent a string of emojis, mostly involving a hand flipping the bird.

Honey: _Warren's right. Concentrate a bit more on the theory as well as practical, okay?_

Craig sent so many sad faces that they filled up the screen.

Craig: _Fiiiiiiine. You all suck_.

As if they'd all agreed on it, everyone sent back the emoji flipping the bird.

...

"All right, settle down everyone!" Mr. Boy called, his voice and request easily ignored by his class.

" _Settle down!_ " Coach Boomer yelled, just a few decibels below sonic.

The classroom was silent in a second.

"Thank you, Boomer," Mr Boy said in a low mutter. Then he coughed and addressed the class once more. "The results for the midterms have been released. Coach Boomer will escort you to the board listing. Please file out in an orderly... fashion," Mr. Boy finished with a sigh as all of the students ran out of the classroom, almost trampling Coach along the way.

The hallway was a cacophony of noise, and Ethan hung back with Zach, holding his hand and waiting patiently. Thanks to Adam, they already knew their grades. Ethan was more worried about who had the second spot and watched his classmates.

Someone burst into tears and Coach looked decidedly uncomfortable, patting the sidekick on the back as they sobbed into their hands.

"Congratulations, Ethan," Magenta said beside him. "You too, Zach."

Surprised that Magenta had addressed either of them, Ethan nodded. "Thanks; what did you get?"

"Tenth place; not too bad out of fifteen sidekicks," she said, with a shrug and hesitant smile.

"Congrats, Maj," Zach said with a brief smile, and then he tugged Ethan forward. "There's a free spot, come on. Where are you?" he asked, a little too loudly.

Ethan rolled his eyes, but looked along the list of names from the bottom up. "First place," he said, smiling broadly, though his gaze focused on the second name: _Eric Takahashi_.

Eric was a sidekick who had exceptionally good eyesight with 21/21 vision. It was rumoured that Eric could see an extra colour than most people, though he had no way of explaining what the colour looked like.

Ethan noticed the third name, blinking as he read it again. "Zach? You scored third place."

"Yeah, I - wait, _what?!_ " Zach exclaimed, frowning and peering at the sheet. "But I got a C? What the fuck?" he muttered, looking across at his grades in confusion.

"Apparently the rest of the class got more C's than you did," Ethan said, trying not to grin too broadly. "Eric only beat you by a B minus. Mad Science."

"Oh-oh-ho. Wait until finals; I'm going to beat him by a solid B," Zach said, pointing at Eric, who frowned back at Zach in confusion.

"You're not even going to try for a B plus?" Ethan asked, grinning.

"Hmm. I could be convinced," Zach said, kissing Ethan briefly.

"Hey, no kissing. That goes for all of you. It's bad enough I have to see you every day; I don't want to see you swapping your germs. Now get back to class, and _please_ stop crying!" Coach said, looking very tempted to push the crying teenager away from him.

"It's all right, Gail. Come on, we'll take you back to class," Ethan said kindly, Zach putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her down the hallway back to their classroom. "I'm sure Magenta wouldn't mind taking you to the bathroom to get cleaned up," he added.

Magenta looked about as pleased as Coach, but she sighed. "Yeah, sure," she said. "Come on, Gail," she added, wincing when Gail sniffled, loud and _wet_.

"That was very evil of you, Eth," Zach snickered, wrapping an arm around his shoulders now.

"I was just being a kind classmate," Ethan said innocently, pushing his glasses up his nose and hiding his grin.

...

Layla covered her mouth, trying so very hard not to laugh. She'd placed sixth out of fifteen in the Heroes sophomore class after being there for only a few months. Will had placed twelfth; his one A was in Coach's Physical Education class, which no one could really argue.

"Are you all right, Layla?" Adam asked, seeing her expression.

"I'm fine," she said, her words muffled behind her hand. She composed herself before lowering her hand. "Where'd you place?"

"Fourth. Craig got thirteenth. He's taken it as a personal insult that Will placed higher than him, so he should be fine for finals," Adam said with a smirk.

"Where did Larry place?"

"First; his parents would probably be horrified if he got anything less," Adam replied.

Layla smiled. "How do you and Craig feel about a little bet?"

"Depends on what we're betting."

"We knock Larry off first place for the top three spots?"

"That's not really a bet," Adam pointed out.

"Fine, I bet you and Craig five dollars that you can't beat me to first place," Layla said.

Adam considered it for a moment as they headed back to class. "You really think Craig'll fall for that?"

"Let's see, shall we?" Layla asked, waving their friend over and proposing the bet.

There was a long moment of silence as Craig considered the bet. Then he grinned, broad and bright. "You're both _going down!_ " he crowed.

Layla grinned at Adam. "May the best student win."

"Oh, I plan on it."

...

Sitting at Layla's study desk, Warren heard an unfamiliar sound, frowning at the noise. Looking around the room, Warren finally thought to look down, and saw vines circling around the chair and, more importantly, his bare feet. Glancing over to Layla, Warren saw that she was sleeping on her armchair and probably wasn't even aware of what she was doing. Sighing, Warren poked at one of the vines with his toe, hoping to nudge it back over to Layla. Instead of leaving, the vine curved up against his ankle, arching like a cat.

Warren suddenly remembered the day Mrs. Williams had died, when Layla's vines encircled her and burrowed into her body, the look of pure bliss and completion on her face. He licked his lips, nervous despite himself, and looked down at the vines properly. "Let me finish my essay first; and wake Layla up, I want her to be conscious for this."

The vines all curved around his ankles eagerly, then raced back over to Layla's armchair, settling and disappearing against her skin. With that done, Warren returned his attention to his essay. He'd made first place in the junior Heroes, and he planned on keeping it that way. (Layla had made a similar bet with Wendy and Donny, hoping to encourage their own scores, and Warren wasn't giving up first place without a goddamn fight. Academically speaking, _of course._ )

Doing a skim-read of the words he'd written, Warren checked that what he'd written actually made sense, and then double-checked that he'd added all of his in-text citations and corresponding references. The last thing he needed was to be accused of plagiarism and get kicked out of Sky High. _Maybe literally, if Principal Powers was having a bad day_.

"All right, I'm done," Warren said to the room in general, saving his essay on his USB, Dropbox, and then emailing a copy to himself.

A few minutes after Warren had turned the computer off, Layla woke up, yawning and rubbing at her eyes sleepily. "How long did I sleep?"

"About an hour. Your vines came out to play."

Layla frowned at Warren's words and expression, reaching inside herself to feel for her vines. _What did you do?_

The answer came in flashes of images across her mind, and Layla sat up, smiling as she looked over to Warren. "You really mean it?"

He nodded. "I figure there's got to be a reason they're still hanging around; I'm curious enough to find out."

Layla straightened up, biting at her bottom lip. "What if it changes you?" she asked, her eyes flashing green.

Warren sighed, stood, and crossed the room in three long strides. He tugged Layla up to her feet and kissed her, hot and firm, melting down to warm and soft. "It won't change what's important," he murmured against her mouth.

Layla opened her eyes, completely green now, and stepped back as her vines started to circle around Warren's feet again. "No, definitely not that."

Warren let out a grunt of pain as the first vine started to burrow its way into his skin. The others followed, one after another, faster and faster until the pain became nothing but a dull ache. He looked at his limbs, green replacing blue, and he could _feel_ the vines changing everything inside of him. He could feel the vines exploring their way through his body, through his skin and bones and muscles down to the very last atom of his being. Then they went into his power.

Warren had always considered himself to be fully in control of his power, that he had reached his full power's potential before he'd even hit his double-digits, but now? Now with the vine coursing through him, opening every last part of him until it found the core of his power, he knew that he'd been wrong. He could feel the vine reaching for his power's core: a hot red flame that burned brightly, and then the vine stretched until it was inside of his power. The flame flared out brilliantly, burning him from the inside out.

 _Warren wasn't even aware that he was screaming or that he had powered up and was setting Layla's bedroom on fire_. _Layla simply stood there and watched, her eyes bright green and reflecting eerily in the fire_.

Warren's power consumed him, completely and utterly, the vine bursting into bloom inside of his body, flowers and thorns curling around until he was no longer flesh and blood. His power continued to burn, melting the vines and flowers and thorns down to ash, combining his and Layla's powers together. Then it ravaged through him once more, destroying anything left that resembled a human, until he became a flame. The flame that was all that was left and in that moment, Warren felt connected to everything that his fire had ever stemmed from: from the fires raging on Earth long before humans had ever come along, from the lava that erupted from volcanoes deep within the earth, from the Sun and stars burning, from the smallest tea candle with a flickering flame to the dying embers in a fireplace. In that single moment, Warren was every single fire and he _burned_.

The flames surrounding Warren's body changed from a bright red-orange flame, fading down to yellow, then a bright white, before turning into a blue flame that was barely visible. His eyes turned blue as he looked at Layla, but before either one could say or do anything, Warren collapsed.

Layla rushed forward, dimly aware that her bedroom was no longer on fire, crouching beside Warren and slapping his cheek firmly, hoping he was all right. Just as Layla was about to get hysterical, a strange calm sensation flowed over her body. She sat back, her eyes wide as she realised that her vines were in Warren and not only could she feel her power inside of him, but she could _feel him_ as well. It was another level above their wrist tattoos, and she instinctively knew that Warren was all right. He'd simply experienced a shock that he hadn't been ready for. Layla had, of course, experienced the same shock, but her mind, body, and vines had protected her against the shock. Warren's fire had reduced her vines down to sharp razor-thin wires, and they hadn't been thick enough to absorb his shock.

Layla stroked Warren's cheek gently, coaxing her vines to help him wake up. They might have been reduced to thin wires, but the vines were still _hers_ , and they responded as easily as a daisy on a windowsill.

Warren opened his eyes with a soft gasp for air, blinking at the sudden transition between dark and light. Layla smiled down at him, her eyes bright green, and he grinned back at her with burning blue eyes. "Your turn, hippie."

Layla laughed, delighted and amazed at his response. "Can I lie down or will my bed be destroyed along with the rest of my room?"

Warren stood up, fluid and easy as a flame climbing a hill, and took her hand. "Stay standing; I won't drop you," he added with a warm smile.

Layla smiled back at him, licking her lips as she stood a little taller, leaning close. "This first," she murmured, kissing him firmly.

Warren kissed Layla back, licking into her mouth, his hands hot against the small of her back. He slowed the kiss, running his hot fingertips up along her spine. A brief thought had honeysuckle growing through Layla's hair and with one more kiss, Warren pulled away, curving the flowering vine around to present to her.

Layla's eyes widened in delight. "I didn't even _feel_ it."

"That's because it's mine."

Layla looked between the honeysuckle flower and Warren, comprehension dawning on her face. "You mean... I'll be able to control fire?"

"Let's find out," Warren said with a grin.

Layla tugged Warren down to kiss him one more time. "Okay, I'm ready."

Warren's eyes burned blue as he coerced flames to twine around Layla's body, winding it around her like a piece of string, covering her from top to toe. The flames burned through her clothes, her skin, muscles, bone, down to her very core. They spread through her body, her vines splitting and flowering under her skin, protecting her from the heat itself. The flames raced through Layla, spreading throughout every part of her before it reached her power.

Layla had thought her mother's death had triggered her full power's ability, but she found that she was wrong: there was still a single seed of power left within her, waiting to bloom. The flames curled around the seed, the heat forcing the seed to crack and burst, the power to bloom throughout her body and mind. She realised that _this_ was what her power meant: not just to control plants, but to control the life and death of all life on Earth. She could destroy continents with this power, the power that had existed from the beginning of time, the very first plant that sprouted from the earth to give life a chance. Nature had survived earthquakes and storms and mudslides and famine and fires. No matter what happened, nature would survive.

While her vines took her shock, Layla came back to herself and realised that she was trembling. She felt like she was burning, her body seemingly on fire, but her arms were cold to the touch. Warren smiled and kissed her, and it was like he was fanning a dying ember, the flames inside of her roaring to life under his mouth and hands.

Their kiss ended when Layla pulled away with laughter on her lips and flames burning brightly on her hands.

...

End of the forty-ninth chapter.


	50. Chapter 50

Layla had exhausted herself to the point where she couldn't even recognise her own daisy on the windowsill, let alone light it on fire. Warren had been more cautious and could still light his hands on fire and wrap a vine around his forearms. He spent the morning making pancakes for Layla and Frieda, piling a stack high on Layla's plate and making sure she ate every bite so she would recover faster. It seemed to help and by her fourth pancake and second glass of orange juice, Layla didn't look as pale anymore.

 

"That was a lovely breakfast, thank you, dear. Feel free to stay over on the next public school day as well," Frieda said, smiling at Warren. "I believe Honey will be coming over this morning. She mentioned something about taking you both shopping?"

 

Thinking of Layla's charred bedroom, Warren gave a slight nod. "We just need a few... things."

 

Frieda raised an eyebrow at the pause of hesitation. "Things?" she echoed, looking between them scrutinisingly before a look of comprehension dawned on her face. "Oh, _things_ , of course. I'm glad you're both being safe."

 

Warren would have paid someone to make the earth swallow him whole right then. Beside him, Layla was blushing, her own embarrassment making his wrist ache. Unable to think of a way to correct Frieda's assumption without getting themselves into trouble, neither Warren nor Layla said a thing.

 

A knock at the door saved them from requiring to answer, Frieda leaving to answer the knock. Warren glanced at Layla, who looked ready to burst into peals of laughter.

 

"What about that was funny, hippie?!" Warren asked incredulously.

 

"It's either laughing or crying. That was ridiculous," Layla said, laughing into her fist.

 

Warren grinned and shook his head. "It's worse than my mother asking... Mum? What are you doing here?"

 

"Hello to you too, Warren," Nina replied. "I'm going out with Frieda and Anita for the day; we've got a pampering day planned. We may even splurge and watch a movie; I've heard good things about _Valentine's Holiday_ ," she added.

 

Frieda laughed and waved off their twin expressions of disgust. "Oh, don't pull those faces; it's a nice sad romantic movie created for women over the age of forty. We thought you'd like to spend the day together. Honey's driving you to work, dear," she said, patting Warren's hand.

 

"But I don't have my work clothes. Never mind," Warren added when Nina produced a bag for him. "Thanks, Mum."

 

"You're welcome. Let me know when you get to work or I'll worry. And I'll expect a compliment on my refreshed complexion and shiny new nails in the morning," Nina teased.

 

"Thank you, Frieda. It was nice of you to surprise us like this," Layla said, kissing her cheek.

 

"I might give you warning next time, so you don't plan a shopping day again," Frieda said with a laugh. "Honey should be here soon; are you both ready to go?"

 

Before Warren or Layla could answer, Nina's phone starting ringing loudly.

 

"Oh, it's Anita. She's probably outside. Are you ready, Frieda?" Nina asked before answering the phone a moment later. "We're heading out now, Anita. Did you see the trailer for _Valentine's Holiday_ yet?"

 

"My bag's at the front door. I'll see you tonight, Layla, and I'll see you later, dear," Frieda said.

 

Both Frieda and Nina were gone within a few minutes, Nina saying farewell over her shoulder. They were in Anita's car and gone barely a second later, Layla and Warren staring after them.

 

"What the hell just happened?" Warren asked.

 

"It seems that Anita, Nina, and Frieda are friends," Layla replied. "Come on, I want to see the damage properly in the light of day," she said, closing the front door and practically running up the stairs to her bedroom.

 

Warren left his work clothes on the stair bannister and followed after her quickly.

 

Most of the bedroom was covered in a thin layer of soot and ash. Holes had been left in the carpet where they'd both stood the night before, and all of Layla's furniture was destroyed, the contents barely fairing any better. Her walk-in wardrobe had survived, the door taking the brunt of the flames. Layla sighed at the sight of her destroyed computer, the screen melted and the hard drive a lump of plastic and metal.

 

"I'll buy you a new one; I've still got my money from the lottery winnings," Warren reminded her, wincing at the sight himself.

 

"I'm pretty sure I was the reason it was destroyed, not you," Layla said, reaching for the flames inside of her and watching the orange flickers along her fingertips, not hot enough for her liking.

 

"How about an anniversary present then?"

 

"I didn't think we had an anniversary."

 

"Ever since you told Dave about our anniversary dinner, he's asking me what I've bought you as a gift. I told him it was in the mail, but now he won't stop asking if it's arrived."

 

"So... you want to buy me a computer so you don't have to lie to Dave the security guard?"

 

"No. Yes. Yes and no? Just accept the gift, hippie, or I'll have to say I bought you some vegan soap or some shit," Warren muttered, kissing her.

 

Layla responded to his kiss, her lips curving into a smile. A few seconds later, she had to pull away so she could laugh, her eyes bright with mirth. "A computer or soap? Those are your only two ideas?"

 

Warren muttered something obscene under his breath and pulled Layla flush against his body, kissing her again. "What would you like as an anniversary gift then?"

 

Layla licked her lips as she pulled away, taking a moment to think of her answer. " _Hippomane mancinella_ ," she said decisively.

 

"A hippo-what?" Warren asked, frowning.

 

" _Hippomane mancinella_ , the manchineel tree. It's endangered and extremely dangerous. It is deadly when touched, when the berries are eaten, when it rains, and when it's burned."

 

"You want me to get you a tree that can kill me by touching it?" Warren asked, confused and perplexed by a tree that could be deadly because of _rain_.

 

Layla smiled and kissed his lips briefly. "My vines are inside you; you won't be harmed."

 

"Why can't you make it grow yourself?" Warren asked, confused and curious rather than accusatory.

 

"I can't get the bark right. I need a specimen to study and then I can create as many as I want. Of course, this isn't something you can get overnight, so maybe for our next anniversary. I'll take the computer today," Layla said with a grin.

 

"I... Text me the name of that tree; I'll see what I can do," Warren said, shaking his head. "So when is our actual anniversary? Are we celebrating monthly? Weekly? Daily?" he teased.

 

Layla laughed brightly and kissed him. Their phones ringing pulled them apart a minute later, Honey calling to say she'd arrived. Warren pressed one more kiss to Layla's lips before grabbing his bag, her purse, and heading down to pick up his clothes. Layla scrolled through her phone to look at various dates, following Warren downstairs.

 

"October 29th," Layla said, kissing his cheek and taking her purse back.

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Our first date. For anniversary purposes, we're celebrating every three months until we hit a year, then it's yearly. Agreed?"

 

"Here I was hoping for daily," Warren deadpanned.

 

Laughing, Layla opened the front door, her laughter and feet stopping abruptly when she saw Patrick from AAA Contractors standing there.

 

"Hippie? What's wrong?" Warren asked, his voice quiet and rough as he felt the churning of Layla's emotions.

 

"I hired AAA to get everything cleaned up for you upstairs. They've already been paid and will be long gone before we're even back. Isn't that right, Paddy?" Honey asked, clasping him on the shoulder.

 

Patrick paled slightly and nodded, swallowing firmly. "Right, Hourglass. Nice to see you again, Miss Williams," he said with a brief nod, stepping back so she and Warren could exit the house.

 

Layla stepped outside, ensuring that she didn't touch Patrick even though he was covered and wearing gloves. Frowning, Warren followed her and made sure he didn't touch Patrick either.

 

"Come on, the sooner we leave, the sooner they leave," Honey promised, leading them down to her car. "Sorry about the surprise; it took more time than I expected to actually get them to agree to the job. They're not happy about the rush job. Or the blackmail," she admitted.

 

"You blackmailed them?" Warren asked, taking Layla's hand.

 

"Only Paddy; don't ask," she added.

 

There was a moment of silence as they were all seated and buckled in. Layla played with one of the tassels on her bag and held Warren's hand her other hand. "You know what we've done?" 

 

"Of course, and I highly approve. Just make sure to keep it a secret until the time's right," Honey said, reversing out of the driveway and heading towards Westville.

 

"From everyone?" Layla asked, thinking of their friends.

 

"Everyone. Donny will know not to say anything."

 

"How do we know when the time's right?" Warren asked, frustrated.

 

"Trust me, you'll know. That doesn't mean you shouldn't practice though. Keep it confined to the Hive, not your homes. Not even in your backyard, Warren."

 

Warren sighed. "Has anyone told you how infuriating you are, Honey?"

 

"Lots of people, actually. You won't be the last," she added lightly. "Now, Layla, do you want to shop for your new mattress, curtains, or computer first?"

 

"Hmm... Curtains, please."

 

Honey nodded and turned right at the next set of lights.

 

...

 

As Honey had promised, the AAA Contractors were gone long before Layla returned home. Frieda hadn't returned yet, though from the text message she'd received earlier that afternoon, Layla hadn't expected her to be: Frieda, Anita, and Nina had decided to go to the movies after all.

 

Honey helped Layla set up her new belongings: mattress, bed linen, pillows, curtains, computer desk and chair, and the computer itself.

 

"Thank you for all of your help, Honey. I couldn't have done it without you."

 

"Not a problem at all, Layla. That being said, I don't want to carry another mattress up two flights of stairs if I can help it, so please promise me that you won't practice with fire in here again," Honey said, fanning herself with the AAA Contractor's receipt.

 

"I'll remember it the next time I'm tempted; I promise I won't practice with fire in here again," Layla said with a brief smile.

 

Honey sighed in relief. "Thank you."

 

"Do you want to stay for dinner?"

 

"I'd love to. Thanks," Honey said with a bright smile.

 

...

 

Josie shifted on her chair slightly, trying to keep her nerves under control and her smile plastered firmly on her face. She had faced down numerous villains and yet, right here and now, Josie had never felt more nervous and terrified in her life.

 

"The winner of this year's Realtor Sales Award is..."

 

There was a sharp intake of breath as everyone waited, their eyes intent on the MC, the envelope he was holding, and the board beside him with the five finalists' names listed on glossy cards. The back of the cards would reveal the amount of money they'd made for the year, with the highest three winning prizes. The first prize was, of course, an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii.

 

The MC opened the envelope with a dramatic flourish. There was a long dramatic pause for one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - _oh, come on, who pauses for this damn long?!_ \- thirteen - fourteen - fifteen...

 

"Patricia Moore," the MC announced, flipping her card to reveal an amount over three million dollars.

 

Josie made herself clap politely, even as she glared over at Trixie - aka, Mooseketeer - who smiled back at her and waved, sweet and so utterly _mocking_. Under the table, Josie clenched Steve's hand as tightly as possible. Trixie might have won the trip to Hawaii, but it was _Jetstream_ who was on the cereal boxes and other merchandise. No one needed Mooseketeer, no one loved Mooseketeer like they did Jetstream. A holiday was _nothing_ compared to the love and affection of citizens worldwide.

 

 _Maybe she could get a refund on the new swimsuit she'd purchased_.

 

"Second place is..."

 

Josie perked up at the MC's announcement; they'd missed out on Hawaii, but a trip to California was nothing to turn her nose up at. There was another lengthy fifteen second pause, during which Josie forced herself to smile rather than gnash her teeth together.

 

"Daisy Ling," the MC announced, flipping Daisy's card to reveal an amount just below three million, people clapping for the woman's achievement.

 

_A citizen had beat them?!_ **_A citizen_ ** _had beat her and Steve, two of the world's greatest superheroes, and... A citizen?!_

 

"Josie? Dear, you're... you're squeezing a little tight there," Steve whispered, wincing.

 

"You'll be fine, Steve," Josie snapped, a little louder than she'd intended. She coughed slightly when people looked their way and Josie let go of her husband's hand, patting him gently. "Sorry, dear."

 

Steve smiled at her, quick and bright, but made sure to leave his hands on top of the table for the announcement of the final prize. Josie tried to think of how many houses she and Steve had sold over the past year, trying to add up the amounts in her head and determine whether they were even _close_ to winning.

 

"Josie and Steve Stronghold!" the MC announced, bringing Josie out of her thoughts abruptly.

 

The card flipped to reveal a figure far closer to two and a half million than Josie would have liked. She smiled and waved when people clapped, and graciously accepted the meat tray that she and Steve were presented with.

 

Trixie and Daisy were given all-expenses-paid holidays, and she and Steve were awarded with a **_meat tray_**. The prize stung almost as much as Trixie's smug little smirk.

 

 _Just you wait until next year_ , Josie thought fiercely behind her bright smile, already thinking of how she and Steve could win their deserved first prize. Josie refused to lose against the likes of _Mooseketeer_ and _a citizen_ again.

 

...

 

"Is it me or are there more advertisements for the Strongholds' Real Estate business than usual?" Layla asked, seeing yet another picture of Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold's faces along the bus route. She'd been on the bus for all of ten minutes and she'd seen their faces three times already.

 

"I heard Will mention the Realtor Sales Award ceremony was on last night," Warren replied. "Their excessive advertising could be in response to either winning or losing," he added with a shrug.

 

"It's tacky," Layla said, wrinkling her nose and looking away from the window to look at Warren instead.

 

He opened one eye when he felt Layla staring and frowned at her, his eyebrows creasing. "What?"

 

"I like your face better than theirs," she said with a smile.

 

Warren rolled his eyes. "I'd hope so."

 

Layla grinned and kissed him briefly, settling back in her seat properly when the bus hit their exit ramp. Warren took her hand, closing his eyes with a grimace of disgust when he saw one of the Strongholds' billboards along the original highway. By now, the students knew to expect the sudden drop between bus and flying bus, and there were only a few gasps of surprise. Layla sighed and rested her head against Warren's shoulder.

 

Compared their usual flight-time, Warren figured they were about halfway to Sky High when the bus's rocket-fuelled exhausts spluttered. The noise and heat of the flames were there one second and _gone_ the next, landing gear dispersing and the wings retracting back into the bus as per the system's landing protocol. The bus started falling back down towards the ground and this time everyone screamed.

 

Warren grabbed Layla's hand as the bus dropped. She looked at him, brown eyes wide and terrified. A feeling bloomed within her, vines blocking the fear, Layla's scream cut off abruptly as her eyes turned green. Beside her, Warren let his power block his own feeling of fear and his eyes burned blue.

 

"I'll get wings; you get heat," Layla said into his ear.

 

Warren had no idea what she meant, but then Layla darted down the aisle between the rows of screaming students. She stood in the middle of the bus and splayed out her arms, her red hair flying up towards the roof as the bus continued to fall. Two large leaves twirled out of her hands, over the heads of the crouched students, and through the bus windows. The holes they made were big enough for the leaf stalks - petiole - to fit through, the leaves expanding when they came into contact with the air outside. Several petiole stretched out from Layla, the green leaves flattening out to form large wings on either side of the bus.

 

In that moment, Warren realised what Layla was talking about, and he propelled himself forward off his seat to stand behind her. His fireballs couldn't go through the window without destroying them completely, but the bus' emergency exit was in the roof and could be enough. Throwing three fireballs upwards - one for the exit, two for the leaves - Warren let one of the fireballs disperse and directed the other two to hover beneath the leaves and create enough heat to help Layla's leaves get height.

 

"Cassie!" Layla yelled over the noise of rushing air.

 

A girl a few seats forward turned on hearing her name, pale and obviously terrified.

 

"Cover the hatch!"

 

Cassie's expression of fear gave way to confusion, but then she nodded and threw her hands up, a thick layer of bubblegum covering the emergency exit.

 

"Terry, the engine!" Warren said to the technopath beside him.

 

Terry gulped, nodded, and slid past Warren and Layla awkwardly to try to fix the engine.

 

"We're not getting enough height. We're going to crash!" someone closer to the front screamed, pointing towards Sky High and where they were on a collision for the mass of land beneath the school.

 

"I can't take any more heat, the leaves will burn!" Layla called out, desperately trying to think of a solution.

 

"The engine's fine! Nothing's wrong with it!" Terry called.

 

"Fuel; we're out of fuel!" the driver yelled.

 

"We're leaking fuel," one of the students corrected, seeing the line of fuel that had left a dark streak in the clouds behind them.

 

The Sky High buses were made from reinforced materials to protect the students in case any villains decided to attack them during their journey, and as such, there was no way the fuel tank could have been damaged accidentally.

 

"Robin, you're an earth-super, right?" Warren asked.

 

"Y-yes?" Robin stammered, their eyes wide.

 

"You need to move Sky High down so we won't hit it."

 

"B-but - "

 

"Do you want to die?!"

 

Robin shook their head, clutching the rail in front of them as they looked out the window and concentrated.

 

By this time, most people had realised that there was something wrong with the bus and a crowd of students had gathered on the edge of Sky High to watch. A few seemed to be trying to figure out how to help, students with jetpacks lending them to their stronger classmates so they could try to lift the bus. Along with Zach, Ethan, and Magenta, Will was still on the other Sky High bus with no idea of what was happening.

 

"Shit! I can raise the atmospheric pressure to keep them steady, but it'll probably kill those idiots who've flown out there," Wendy said, glaring at the four students who'd flown off towards the winged bus.

 

Donny stared at the bus, trying to get an understanding of what was happening and what they were planning. Catching Robin's thoughts of concentration, he paled as he realised what was about to happen. "Everyone get down!" he yelled, pulling Wendy down to the grass with him.

 

Some people were on the ground immediately but others only had enough time for a confused expression before the ground beneath them _dropped_. It stopped abruptly, not moving down very far, a few people groaning as their bodies were slammed with the sudden force.

 

"Stay down!" Donny yelled.

 

Everyone did as he said and flattened themselves against the grass, staring at the bus that was flying towards them.

 

"We're going to be flattened!" someone cried out in fear.

 

No one had a chance to reply before the ground beneath them dropped again, everyone falling and slamming against the grass for a second time. Donny tried to figure out if they really were going to be flattened but he was a mind reader not a psychic.

 

Layla's concentration was kept completely on her vines, on making sure they continued to flap and raise them higher without touching Warren's fireballs and burning to a crisp.

 

Behind her, Warren was trying to keep his fireballs at the right temperature to keep them aloft and not destroy their work.

 

Robin was biting their lip so hard they'd bitten right through, but they paid no mind to the blood pooling in their mouth, and focused solely on Sky High and forcing it to move down against the force of the anti-gravitational device.

 

Cassie was desperately trying to create as many bubblegum bubble parachutes as possible, hoping that they'd be enough to save everyone.

 

Terry was trying to redesign the engine so it would fly without fuel, but it was a difficult task that engineers had yet to achieve, and he was a _freshman_. Blinking back his tears, Terry tried another set of instructions to the bus engine's computer chip, trying to override the landing lock to give them wings at the very least, yet another feat that had yet to be achieved by even the most villainous of technopaths due to anti-technopath protections that had been installed after Royal Pain's efforts.

 

Their strong jetpack-laden classmates made it to the bus, desperate cries and cheers greeting them. One student almost hit into Layla's leaf wings as they tried to get under the bus, a second attempt making them drop down and then fly back up beneath the bus itself.

 

"Be careful!" Layla yelled, several people echoing her with more fear than anger.

 

The four students lifted as much as they possibly could, trying to hover in the air without holding onto their jetpack controllers. Two of them dropped and quickly held onto the stick controllers again, their hearts beating a terrified rhythm. The other two students had more modern jetpacks that offered autopilot options and pushed with all of their might to lift the bus. The other two did their best one-handed, clutching the controllers tightly.

 

Despite their combined efforts, the jetpacks just weren't strong enough to lift both the students and the bus higher more than a few centimetres. Sky High was getting closer with every passing second and they had to move out of the way before they hit into the school grounds themselves.

 

There was a cry of disappointment as the students inside the bus watched the other four students fly away from the bus, away from them.

 

Robin screamed as they pushed Sky High down one more time; Terry curled up into a ball, his hand still pressed against the bus' dashboard and desperately trying to rearrange _everything_ ; Layla realised that they were still too low and made her wings flap faster, desperately trying to get more lift; Warren put extra heat into his flames to push them up, his flames eating at Layla's leaves.

 

Sky High dropped once more, the bus came to a screeching halt as it plowed into the grass right next to the students on the ground, the back tyres hanging over the edge precariously.

 

The four students flew forward as fast as they possibly could, pushing the bus up and over the last metre until all four wheels were safely on the ground. The two students with the stick-controlled jetpacks had literally flown into the bus itself and were covered in broken glass, the back of the bus completely ruined with their combined strength.

 

"Did we die?"

 

Layla clung to the bus seat beside her, her fingers curled tightly into the metal and vinyl. "We're alive. We made it."

 

There were a few soft whimpers, loud sniffles, people trying to get their fear-laden limbs to move properly. The bus doors were wrenched open and it was as though a dam had broken, everyone rushing to get to the exit as fast as superhumanly possible. Terry was pulled out of the bus before he was trampled, the students outside rushing forward to help the traumatised students to get off the bus and safely onto the ground.

 

Warren pulled Layla aside as the students beside and behind them tried to get out of the bus. "Okay, hippie?"

 

Layla nodded, turning and curling against Warren's chest. "We're alive."

 

"We are, thanks to your quick thinking," Warren said with a smile.

 

"You thought of Robin moving Sky High; I wouldn't have even considered that," Layla admitted.

 

"Lucky you've got me around then," he said, his smile turning to a broad grin.

 

"Always," she murmured, rising on her toes to kiss him deeply.

 

A cough had them parting and they looked over to see Principal Powers standing in the broken door of the bus. "Mr. Peace, Miss Williams, please come with me to my office."

 

Warren nodded, heading to the back of the bus to grab their bags. He indicated for Layla to go ahead of him, his hand warm against the small of her back. Reaching back, Layla grabbed his hand and squeezed it firmly. She was only slightly worried about what Principal Powers might have to say to them in private, but she didn't let her worries show as she stepped off the bus with Warren a step behind her.

 

Cheers and clapping met their descent, Layla smiling and waving. Warren refrained from rolling his eyes, lifted his hand in a brief wave, and then guided Layla after Principal Powers before he did anything else stupid.

 

With most of the students still outside and either recovering from their shock or simply gossiping, the walk to Principal Powers' office was quiet. Layla tried to consider things from Principal Powers' point of view, trying to determine if they had done anything wrong to warrant their looming punishment.

 

Principal Powers indicated for them to enter the office, walking in and closing the door behind them. She sat at her desk, taking a few moments to breathe before she could bring herself to speak. Layla noticed that Principal Powers was trembling, and belatedly realised that Principal Powers had been shimmering with her comet power until she'd walked into her office, the power repression beams working even on her.

 

"I have been the principal at Sky High for longer than I'd like to admit, and this is the first time I've truly feared for my students' safety. Of course, if I hadn't been turned into a baby during last year's Homecoming, it would have been the second time," she admitted, coughing slightly. "I cannot thank you enough for your heroic deeds this morning. I owe both of you a debt of gratitude and the students that were on the bus with you owe you their lives," Principal Powers said.

 

Warren and Layla had both expected to be in trouble for using their powers outside of school and they certainly hadn't expected Principal Powers to _thank_ them.

 

Warren recovered first and he smiled at Principal Powers warmly. "It was nothing, Principal Powers. Any student would have done the same thing."

 

"I'm just glad we were there to be able to save our fellow students. Terry, Cassie, and Robin all helped as well. If Robin hadn't moved Sky High down, we would have crashed."

 

Principal Powers blinked. "Robin, Cassie, and Terry?" she repeated, writing their names down. "What did Terry and Cassie do?"

 

"Cassie covered the escape hatch with bubblegum after I destroyed it with my fireballs," Warren said. "I think she was also trying to create parachutes out of bubblegum for everyone towards the end, though I don't know how they would have worked out," he added with a slight shrug.

 

"We thought it was an issue with the engine, so Terry tried to fix it," Layla said.

 

"It wasn't the engine?"

 

Both Warren and Layla shook their heads. "According to the driver, there was no fuel left," Layla said.

 

"One of the students mentioned that we'd been leaking fuel," Warren added.

 

Principal Powers stood up abruptly, turning to look out of her window. Muttering to herself under her breath, too low for either Warren or Layla to hear, Principal Powers soon realised that they were still in the room and turned to face them once more. "Thank you very much, I can't tell you how relieved I am that you two were there to save the day. You should head to class now, though I doubt much work will be done this morning," she admitted with a quick smile, the action not reaching her eyes.

 

"Thank you, Principal Powers," Layla said, Warren echoing her a moment later, both of them leaving.

 

Principal Powers left after them, turning into a comet and flying out of Sky High and towards the wrecked bus and fuel-slick path they'd left behind in the clouds.

 

Layla looked to Warren, who was grinning broadly. "What are you smiling about?"

 

"Principal Powers was right," he said, pausing for a moment that was long enough for Layla to wonder if he liked the attention of being a hero after all, "Every one of those students owe us their lives," Warren said, his grin turning wicked.

 

Layla laughed, covering her mouth abruptly to muffle the noise. "You're right."

 

Warren tugged her hands away, then pulled Layla close to kiss her firmly, biting at her lips.

 

" _Eww_ , gross. Stop it already!" Zach groaned, shuddering and making gagging noises until they stopped kissing.

 

"Congratulations on saving the students of bus number eighteen from certain death," Ethan said with a grin. "Any comments for the school paper?"

 

"Fuck off," Warren said.

 

"That should be your headline, Eth," Zach said, snickering.

 

"We'll give you our comments at lunch, okay?" Layla said. "Why don't you talk to Robin, Terry, and Cassie first?" she offered.

 

"Terry the freshman?" Ethan clarified, getting a nod in response. "Thanks. Come on, Zach; I want to get a statement before they forget."

 

Zach rolled his eyes. "They almost died, Eth; I doubt they'll forget that anytime soon."

 

Warren ignored them both in favour of bringing Layla back in close and kissing her again.

 

They would worry about who had sabotaged the bus later. For now, they were together and alive, and that was enough.

 

...

 

End of the fiftieth chapter.


	51. Chapter 51

"Good morning, Ms. Powers. Is now a good time?"

 

Principal Powers looked to the woman at her doorway, her eyes widening when she realised just who she was and why she was there. "Oh, I am so sorry, I completely forgot you would be coming today! There was an incident this morning, you see, and I had to make sure the children would be all right. Everything else just went to the back burner, I'm afraid."

 

"It's quite all right, I understand completely. I just hope I'm not too presumptuous in still coming today? I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to postpone."

 

Principal Powers considered the offer: hiring the jet-powered taxi again would mean another exorbitant fee and it was enough to make her shake her head. "No, I think today will be fine. I doubt the children are focused on their work anyway," she admitted.

 

Pressing the button for Sky High's PA system, Principal Powers waited a second for the feedback and crackling to stop. "Good morning, students. Today we have a special guest speaker here to talk to you about what it's like to be a superhero in Maxville. Please make your way to the gymnasium in an orderly fashion and remember that you are representatives of Sky High and everything the school stands for."

 

It was as close to a threat as Principal Powers could manage while their guest - and one of Sky High's main benefactors - was still standing _right there_ , but she hoped it conveyed her meaning clearly: _don't embarrass me_.

 

Smiling at her guest, Principal Powers stood and indicated out of her office and towards the hallway. "Would you like a tour while the students get settled?"

 

"I think I remember enough from my days as a student here, thank you. I might be persuaded afterwards," she said as they followed the crowd of students to the gym.

 

"You're more than welcome to wander the grounds, of course. I'd just prefer that the students weren't disrupted any more than they have been today. You understand, I'm sure," Principal Powers said.

 

"Of course. Thank you, Ms. Powers. Oh, the gift I mentioned on the phone," she said, rummaging in her bag and pulling out what looked to be a thick white bracelet.

 

"That's very kind of you. After this morning's incident, well... I appreciate it, thank you," Principal Powers said, slipping the bracelet on over her wrist.

 

"It's still in the testing stage, so don't rely on it heavily. Some of the tests have only lasted a few hours. Otherwise, it still looks lovely as a bracelet."

 

"Well, I'm hoping I won't need it that long," Principal Powers admitted.

 

They both fell silent as they walked into the gym. The arena for Save the Citizen had been transformed to a small stage at the flip of a switch, the city landscape sliding down into the floor, the bleachers folding back against the walls as rows of assembly chairs replaced them instead. As they walked down the path between the two rows of chairs, students whispered to each other, trying to recall the superhero on sight, some falling silent when Principal Powers raised an eyebrow at them.

 

Reaching the stage, the teachers greeted Principal Powers, some looking just as curious as the students as to who their visitor was.

 

 _If they didn't know, it was their own fault for not reading the daily staff emails she sent them_.

 

"Please, take a seat. I just have a few things to announce to the students, and then you can get started," Principal Powers said to their guest with a smile, indicating to a seat near the podium. Once she was sure everyone was seated, Principal Powers stood at the podium and waited a moment for the noise to die down. "Good morning, students. I'm sure you're all wondering what happened this morning with one of our buses."

 

A low murmur went through the students. Principal Powers noticed that some still seemed a little pale after their adventure and made a mental note to get Nurse Spex to check on them after the assembly. A loud trumpeting noise sounded suddenly, a few people laughing at the sudden interruption; _was that an elephant?!_

 

"Please turn off your phones during assembly," Principal Powers said with a tight smile; it felt like she'd reminded the students of this rule _every single time_ they held an assembly.

 

She waited for the usual scramble of students checking their pockets and phones to die down before continuing.

 

"I want to assure you that it was simply a malfunction that caused the fuel to leak, and there's nothing to worry about. The rest of the bus fleet have been thoroughly checked over to ensure they don't have the same malfunction and I am pleased to say that they are in complete working order. This will not happen again," Principal Powers said firmly.

 

A lot of the students looked relieved at her firm words and reassurance, and Principal Powers softened her expression, smiling briefly.

 

"Due to the heroic efforts of several students, the bus itself suffered too much damage to be repaired, so you will all have to walk home." Principal Powers waved off the students' laughter with a small laugh of her own. "The bus is, of course, being repaired by our very own Ron Wilson, bus driver, with the help of Mr. Medulla. The bus will be in working order by the time you all leave for the day. If you have already organised alternative transportation, you are still welcome to use it."

 

Looking across the crowd again, Principal Powers saw that now that the students were complacent about the bus situation, they were looking curiously to their guest once more.

 

"Thank you for your patience, and I am very glad that you all made it to school safely this morning. Now, please allow me to introduce our guest speaker for today. She is a highly-regarded journalist for a local magazine right here in Maxville, and is a very successful business owner. Please welcome, Hourglass," Principal Powers said, clapping as she moved to the side of the podium.

 

Honey stood and walked to the podium, adjusting the microphone slightly, feedback crackling loudly in the gym speakers. "I knew that was going to happen," she said, wincing.

 

Laughter came from some of the older students who actually knew who Hourglass was from the news reports or the _Labyrinth_ magazine itself.

 

"Thank you, Principal Powers. Hi everyone. As Principal Powers said, I'm Hourglass. For those who don't know me, I'm an alumni of Sky High and I am a seer. Yes, I can see the future; please don't do what you're thinking of doing; and sorry, she's _not_ going to say yes but he will," Honey said, her gaze landing on a few people here and there for a fraction longer than the rest of the student population.

 

There was a moment of stunned silence, even the whispers fading to nothing. For a brief moment, there was complete peace and quiet. Behind her, Honey could practically feel the relief permeating from the teachers.

 

"Now, after this morning's incident, there's probably a few of you who've had your lives flashing before your eyes. Anyone see a past life? Hopefully it was interesting," she added with a grin. "Talking about myself isn't really one of my strengths, but I promised I'd give it a go. Unless you just want to ask me questions about the future for the next five minutes? No, I'm not giving you the winning lotto numbers."

 

A disappointed groan went through several students, but for the most part, everyone stayed silent.

 

"Hmm, all right, looks like you all get to hear about my life then. By the end of this, you'll probably wish you'd asked your questions instead," Honey said. "So, I was born right here in Maxville. I had an extremely normal childhood up until the time my parents could no longer deny the fact that I could see the future. Of course, telling several people how they were going to die when I was four years old probably wasn't the best way to do it. No one came to my fifth birthday party, that's for sure. I went through the usual thing with citizen parents around that time: threats, scolding, fear, being sent to my room for hours on end, therapy."

 

There were a few students who shifted uncomfortably on their chairs, others looking to their classmates who had citizen parents, some more who were reminded far too forcibly of their own childhoods and how they had changed in ways that were completely unexpected by both their parents and themselves.

 

"I did the usual thing in response to these things. Well, there was mainly a lot of crying on my part," Honey said with an indifferent shrug. "When I was six years old - during one of the timeouts in my room - I had a vision. It was of a place that floated in the air, and there were other supers, others like me. I knew then that I wasn't alone, that I wasn't a freak, and I knew there was somewhere I _belonged_. I spent hours trying to control my vision, trying to go back or forward, trying desperately to find the name of the place. Eventually, I found the name: Sky High. I remember coming out of the vision, my room was pitch black, I'd missed dinner, and I thought to myself: _what a stupid name for a school_."

 

Honey had to pause for a moment, students roaring with laughter at the unexpected punchline.

 

"So, the next morning, I told my parents about this school that I'd seen. Then I told them how much the tuition was going to cost," she said, some students laughing again. "Once my father had recovered from that shock, he spent a few hours trying to find out about the school - remember, this is pre-Internet - and how much the tuition _really_ cost.

 

"Sky High is, of course, a high school, so there was a bit of a wait between my vision and actual attendance, but I was eventually on my way here. I was so excited, you probably know the feeling yourselves - the anticipation, the nerves, the churning in your stomach - and I had had so many visions of my first day at Sky High that not even I knew what was going to happen. That's the thing with being a seer: there isn't _one_ definite future, there are hundreds, _millions_ of futures that could happen. Of course, some things are set and can't be changed no matter what you do, but some people like to try anyway," Honey said, shrugging.

 

"So, I arrive at Sky High with my classmates and we're ushered into Power Placement. I had five ways it could go: I could awe them all with my power; disappoint them with my power; my power would suddenly stop working; I'd be moved ahead a year due to my pure brilliance and, of course, modesty - " a few people laughed, and Honey grinned as she continued, " - or I'd fall flat on my face and everyone would laugh. Guess which one happened to me?"

 

"That's right: I fell flat on my face and _everyone_ laughed. I was mortified at the time, but now I can laugh about it. I was so sure that it would be any future _but_ that one," she said with a lamenting sigh. "So, as a result of me being cocky and falling on my face in front of everyone, I was put into Hero Support. I'm pretty sure everyone thought I'd accidentally knock into something and destroy everything if I was a Hero," Honey said, laughing.

 

"I hadn't planned on working in the super field, and knew I wouldn't be able to take orders from some muscle-bound Hero with no brain cells to speak of - no offence, Coach Boomer," she said, Boomer frowning in confusion bas a few people snickered. Honey continued before Boomer realised that she'd insulted him, "So I worked my butt off, studied every book I could get my hands on, and made myself into an academic success instead. Now, you might be thinking, _why_ would I do that? I could see the future, right? Why not just cheat on every test instead? Well, two reasons: one, I wanted to learn and understand things for myself, not just know the answers, and two, I was required to take all of my tests in the detention room so my powers wouldn't work anyway."

 

Honey paused for a moment, looking out to the sea of students, her gaze landing on one of the students towards the back. "You can ask your question. I promise no one will laugh."

 

"When will I die?" a student blurted out.

 

"Come to me in two years; you'll be ready for the answer then," Honey said quietly, her words a promise.

 

A few people seemed curious about her response and looked like they would ask the same question as well.

 

"I'm happy to see you all after assembly and give you a proper timeframe. As long as Principal Powers doesn't mind the disruption?" Honey asked, glancing to the principal behind her.

 

Principal Powers clenched her jaw briefly at the obvious disregard for her instruction _not_ to disrupt the students, but couldn't say no in front of them. Besides, she was kind of curious herself. "I can allow you all an extra hour of Hourglass' time, but it will cut into your lunch break," she announced.

 

She wondered which would win: _food or death?_

 

"Thank you, Principal Powers. Now, continuing down memory lane: I graduated Sky High at seventeen. I was at the top of my class, but more importantly, I refused my Hero's offer during graduation."

 

A gasp was heard throughout the crowd. _A sidekick_ ** _rejected_** _a Hero?!_ The students hadn't even known that was an option available to them and some of them started to think.

 

"I know, it was an absolute scandal at the time. But I left Sky High that day with the future clear in my mind: I was going on to bigger and better things, and - luckily for everyone - it didn't involve spandex," Honey said, getting a few laughs in return, the students settling down from their shock.

 

"I started working for a local real estate company and within two years, I owned the business. From there, I worked in four different companies over the next eight years, some of which I own and some of which have gone out of business. I started working at _Labyrinth_ three years ago and have no plans on leaving so far.

 

"A word of advice: if you have to work for anyone, make sure you get a good boss," she said with a grin. "On that note, if anyone's looking for a job for their alter-ego in the future, _Labyrinth_ is a super-friendly workplace."

 

"Remember that if you do have a job as an alter-ego, you will still be required to do that job as well as your super's alter-ego's work. Try to stick to super-friendly workplaces as they're more understanding when you have to leave at one in the afternoon, and you come back the next day with a broken arm, or even if you have to take the rest of the week off to recover in hospital.

 

"You could work for yourself, of course, but that has it's own issues: who's going to pay for your rent because you haven't done your own job that week? Or how are you going to pay your hospital bills because the government grant for self-employed Heroes and Hero Support was abolished last year?"

 

A few people - teachers and students alike - shifted uncomfortably at the reminder.

 

"Don't forget that there's more to being a super than fighting - or doing - crime. You might be able to use your powers in certain fields like medicine, teaching, cleaning, or even gardening. There are always other choices and options beyond what you see on TV or in movies. Discover what you're passionate about early and see how you can work it into your life. Of course, you can be passionate about hundreds of things and do them in your spare time, and treat your job as a job instead. Just try not to lock yourself into a job you can't get yourself out of. You might find you hate your job in a year's time and want to move on, but you might not have the necessary skills to do so.

 

"People might tell you that you're good at a particular job, but that doesn't mean you have to do it. You might be a great leader, but that doesn't mean you'll like being someone's boss. It's hard work; it's not just delegating tasks, it's managing people and dealing with their emotions and - unless you're a CEO - you'll have to deal with people higher up the chain than you as well. There will be pressure from people above, pressure from people below, and you'll be there stuck in the middle. Some of you might work well with that kind of pressure, others might not.

 

"You need to think about everything when considering the future, but most of all, you need to think about _yourself_ and the future _you_ want. Some people might call this selfish, but they're usually the people stuck in jobs they hate because they let other people dictate their lives when they were your age."

 

The lunch bell sounded loudly, startling a few staff and students.

 

"I think that's my cue to stop talking. You were an excellent audience; thanks for listening!" Honey said, stepping back from the podium so Principal Powers could take the stage once more.

 

Students clapped a little uncertainly. Usually when they had superheroes as guest speakers during assembly, it was all about the villains they'd fought and the places they'd been, it wasn't about _studying_ and _bills_. The usual superheroes made their lives sound fantastic and wonderful with fame and adoration and - sometimes, but rarely - fortune. Hourglass had made it sound like real life and **work**.

 

Despite the uncertainty about her talk, a lot of the students stayed back to ask her questions, lining up in an orderly fashion while others left for the cafeteria as fast as their feet could carry them.

 

Layla lined up with the rest of the students, curious to know what Honey was doing here - besides the impromptu assembly and _riveting_ speech, of course - and also curious to know what her answer would be to whichever question she asked.

 

Scrolling through her phone, Layla read the messages from their group chat. It had started as soon as Honey had entered the gym, Donny messaging everyone to turn their phones to silent. Ethan had nudged Zach so he’d actually check his phone, while Adam asked Donny what the hell was going on.

 

Donny: _no idea. Honey's being vague about the whole thing_

 

Warren: _Principal Powers wasn't wearing that bracelet this morning, was she?_

 

Layla: _I don't remember seeing it_

 

Ethan: _Why would she have a new bracelet between this morning and now?_

 

Donny: _Honey gave it to her. It's similar to the cuffs people wear in Maxville Super Penitentiary_

 

Craig: _Meaning what?_

 

Donny: _it's a prototype; supposed to stop other people's powers from working on the person wearing it_

 

Zach: _so... is it working?_

 

There was a long wait between messages until Wendy snapped.

 

Wendy: _seriously, how long does it take to read someone's mind?!_

 

Craig: _bet that's a question you never thought you'd ask_

 

Wendy: _shut up Craig. Is it working or not, Donny?_

 

Donny: _it's difficult to tell in here. Everyone shut up and stop thinking so loudly!_

 

Ethan: _elephants_

 

Donny: _it won't help if only you guys are thinking about it, I need everyone to shut up!_

 

Adam: _I'm on it_

 

The speakers on all of their phones had sounded a second later, a loud elephant trumpeting that drew laughter from some of the students and confusion from others, everyone thinking about elephants a moment later. Principal Powers had simply seemed annoyed that someone hadn't turned their phone off during assembly yet again.

 

Donny: _thanks, got her. The bracelet works, but Honey said it doesn't work for very long. Maybe an hour or two_

Donny: _Honey says to stay back after assembly_

 

Zach: _all of us?_

 

Ethan: _how are we going to manage that without looking suspicious?_

 

Donny: _yes, all of us. You'll find out soon_

 

Almost ten minutes passed as they listened to Honey's anecdotes and speech, then Adam sent another message.

 

Adam: _why would Principal Powers need a bracelet like that anyway?_

 

Ethan: _do you think something's wrong? Maybe she knows who sabotaged the bus?_

 

Zach: _she would tell us that though, right?_

 

Wendy: _telling the student population could end up in mass hysteria. If it was a student, then they'd be ostracised. She's probably waiting until she finds out what happened from the Super Bureau's report_

 

Layla: _you think they're bringing the Super Bureau in for this?_

 

Warren: _probably; students could have died today and parents will want answers_.

 

Ethan: _the bus shouldn't be repaired if they are. Mr. Medulla and Ron Wilson, bus driver, could be destroying vital evidence._

 

Adam: _what if she did it?_

 

Craig: _who?_

 

Adam: _Principal Powers. She's repairing the bus before anyone from the Super Bureau gets here, destroying any evidence, she's not exactly fond of Warren or Layla, and the buses are locked up on Sky High overnight - not many people have access to the bus depot._

 

Donny: _she wouldn't risk all of the students on bus 18, would she?_

 

Ethan: _it is the lower SES._

 

Craig: _repeat that in English?_

 

Ethan: _lower socioeconomic status._

Ethan: _basically, all the people with lower influence, money, income, etc._

 

Warren: _meaning all of the poor and scholarship students._

 

Layla: _we're on that bus; Frieda's certainly not poor and I'm not on a scholarship?_

 

Warren: _my mother's paying an arm and a leg for my education, believe me._

 

Ethan: _you two are the few on that route who can actually afford the tuition. If the students were injured, hurt, or killed, then it would make room for students who would pay their fees upfront rather than on a payment plan._

 

Wendy: _do you really think Principal Powers would try to kill thirty-odd students just to get more money into the school?_

 

No one had hesitated answering 'yes' to that question. Everyone knew that Principal Powers had to answer to the Mayor, and Sky High had to be showing at a profit rather than a loss or else the school would lose their various grants and funding, despite support from the Commander and Jetstream.

 

Layla grinned at the message and slipped her phone in her pocket once more.

 

"What are you going to ask Hourglass?" Warren asked behind her, sneaking in between Ethan and Layla.

 

"No idea. I thought I'd decide when I was closer. You?"

 

"Hmm, asking about my death seems a little much after this morning. I want to know, but at the same time, I can honestly live without knowing that information. I've got a couple of things on my mind," Warren said with a slight shrug.

 

"We could just ask about the bus," Ethan piped up behind him.

 

"Seriously, Eth? You've got a chance to ask Hourglass _anything_ and you're going to ask about a bus?" Zach groaned.

 

"It's practical and it'll help solve things sooner, I don't see the problem," Ethan replied. "Besides, we can probably ask Hourglass whatever we wanted later," he added, his voice quiet.

 

Zach rested his chin on Ethan's shoulder as he contemplated his boyfriend's response. "What if she doesn't answer us then?"

 

"She doesn't have to answer us now either," Ethan said, pushing Zach's face off his shoulder.

 

At the front of the line, someone started sobbing. He was led away by his friends, pale and hiccupping in distress.

 

"That was brutal," Donny said, wincing.

 

"What was it?" Wendy asked, her gaze following the sobbing student before returning back to Donny.

 

"He's going to be sent to boarding school if he doesn't get better grades," Donny said. "Could lead to the end of his parents' marriage as well. Wait... it's changing. Ohh," he said, his eyes widening.

 

"What? What's _ohh?_ " Wendy asked, thoroughly confused.

 

"Hourglass is changing people's futures. Not everyone, not a lot, but enough that her power's affected by it. She's... feeding off the changes."

 

Wendy shuddered at the wording. "I don't think I want an answer from her now."

 

Donny shook his head and took her hand, squeezing. "We'll be fine, don't worry."

 

As they neared the front of the line - some students walking away looking relieved, others terrified, a few crying - Layla noticed that a few staff had joined the queue as well.

 

"What do you think Hourglass will say to the teachers?" she asked Warren, grinning.

 

"No idea. Think someone will quit?" he asked with a grin of his own.

 

Almost on cue, Ms. Littera - the English teacher for Heroes - let out a cry of delight and practically ran out of the gymnasium. Everyone in their group looked from the teacher to Donny.

 

"Winning lotto numbers," he said, shrugging.

 

"Did you get them?" Wendy asked.

 

Donny shook his head. "No, Hourglass wrote them down for her. It's the major division prize. I doubt she'll be here for long."

 

"End of the day long, or end of the week long?" Zach asked.

 

"Ms. Littera has almost a month of long service leave built up; I reckon she'd go on holiday to cover the next two weeks of required notice," Adam said, flicking through his phone and fixing a bug in his code.

 

"How do you know how much leave she has?" Craig asked.

 

Adam just rolled his eyes and didn't reply.

 

Donny stood on his toes to look over a few people and that's when Layla noticed that both Will and Magenta were at the front of the line and talking to Honey. Settling back on his feet once more, Donny tried to hold back his laughter at what Honey was saying to the couple.

 

"What's funny?" Wendy asked, craning to see over people as well. "Oh. What's she saying?"

 

"They need to stick with each other," Donny replied.

 

"All right, and?"

 

"That's it," he said, shrugging.

 

Layla smiled. "It's perfect."

 

"You need to tell me what the hell you're planning with her because _none_ of this makes sense," Wendy said, rolling her eyes.

 

"Later," Layla promised, nodding ahead to where the line was moving.

 

They reached Honey in a few minutes with no more tears from the other students - or teachers - and Donny tried not to grin too much when he heard Honey's thoughts.

 

"Nice to meet you," Honey said, shaking his hand.

 

"You too," Donny replied. "You already know what I'm going to ask?"

 

"You already know the answer," Honey replied.

 

Donny laughed. "Thanks, Hourglass."

 

"What the hell was that?" Wendy asked, exasperated.

 

"Is that really the question you want to ask?" Honey asked.

 

Wendy let out a huff of annoyance but relented, her expression giving way to nerves. "I'll pass my exams, won't I?"

 

"Keep up with the study groups, you'll be fine. You might even surprise yourself," Honey added.

 

Wendy felt such a rush of relief that the wind picked up outside, accidentally blowing out one of the broken windows on the bus that Mr. Medulla and Ron Wilson, bus driver, were repairing.

 

"Donny and I will go get our table; see you in the cafeteria."

 

"Thanks, Wendy. See you there," Layla said, moving forward with a smile, shaking Honey's offered hand. "Nice to meet you, Hourglass."

 

"Likewise. What's your question?" she asked with a smile in return.

 

Layla had a few she could ask - _will our plans succeed? Will anyone or anything get in our way? How should she go about dealing with any future threats?_ \- but eventually decided on another question all together, since Coach Boomer was hanging nearby. "Who will be at the top of the student ranking this year?"

 

"You're all tied at the moment. Work for it and you might win," Honey replied.

 

'Might' didn't appease Layla very much, but she figured if she was that close to Adam and Craig, it was all she could expect until they had their final exams.

 

"Thank you."

 

"Not a problem," Honey replied, then offered her hand to Warren.

 

"If I buy my mother a new GPS, will she get over me melting the old one?" he asked with a slight grin.

 

"Eventually, yes. But give it a couple of months; she enjoys teasing you when she can," Honey said, trying not to laugh.

 

"Thanks, I noticed," Warren said, shaking his head.

 

Ethan was next, shaking Honey's offered hand. "Why are you making everyone shake your hand?" he asked curiously.

 

"You're totally wasting your question, Eth," Zach groaned behind him.

 

Ethan shrugged. "I want to know."

 

"Because it gives everyone the illusion that I need touch to use my power," Honey said quietly, winking. "People underestimating my power is never a bad thing."

 

"Huh," Ethan said, making a noise of understanding and surprise. Then he nodded, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Thanks, Hourglass."

 

"All right, my turn!" Zach said, shaking Honey's hand eagerly. "Will I always be this awesome?"

 

A few people laughed at his loud question, Zach grinning widely at his audience before turning his attention back to Honey.

 

Thinking about it seriously for a long moment, Honey eventually nodded. "You'll always be this awesome," she said, grinning.

 

"Cool. Thanks."

 

"Dude, go get me a tray of tater tots," Craig said to Zach. "Make sure they're the fresh ones!"

 

"Same for me; don't forget the pudding," Adam added as he moved to shake Honey's hand.

 

"And you said I wasted my question," Ethan said, rolling his eyes at Zach as they left the gym with Layla and Warren.

 

"I didn't waste anything. I met people's expectations," Zach said, grinning.

 

"Huh?"

 

"People think they know what to expect from me, so I'm not gonna disappoint them. Besides, like you said, we can probably ask Hourglass our questions another time."

 

Ethan grinned and kissed Zach's cheek. "I love it when you listen to me."

 

"I always listen to you. Even if I don't understand what you're saying," Zach said with a bright smile.

 

...

 

Principal Powers reminded herself that Hourglass was one of the school's biggest benefactors, then she inhaled deeply and looked over the rim of her glasses, trying hard not to glower at the woman. "One of my teachers resigned this afternoon. Says she's going to win the lottery," she added with a pointed look, definitely _not_ a glare or glower.

 

"Ms. Littera is very deserving of the win and she will spend it well."

 

 _School's biggest benefactor, school's biggest benefactor, school's biggest benefactor_...

 

"I can recommend a good English teacher, if you don't mind?" Honey interrupted Principal Powers' mantra. "I could recommend three, in fact, so there's no bias."

 

Principal Powers considered the offer for a moment. "I don't care about bias right now. Who can start the soonest?"

 

Honey smiled.

 

...

 

"So, Ms. Littera won the lotto and booked the first flight out of town," Adam said, snickering as he pulled out the trundle bed from beneath Craig's bed.

 

"Dude, how do you know this shit?" Craig asked incredulously.

 

Adam flopped down onto the mattress and held up his phone pointedly. "I've been looking at passenger manifests for all of the flights out of Maxville and I recognised her name. She's going to the Maldives. One-way ticket, and her house is up for sale on the Stronghold's Real Estate website."

 

"Do I want to know how you know where she lives?"

 

"Sky High staff records. They were really easy to get into; I kind of want to tell Principal Powers just on principle," Adam said, shaking his head.

 

"She'd have you in the Detention Room faster than you could spit."

 

Adam laughed. "Don't need my powers to hack 'n crack, do I?"

 

"Huh. Good point. Maybe I should look into up-skilling," Craig mused.

 

"You've gotta have a skill to up-skill in the first place."

 

"Screw you."

 

"Nah, not interested."

 

Craig frowned. "Like, not interested at all or not interested in me?"

 

Adam blinked. "Seriously, _that's_ how you're asking me out?"

 

"I'm not asking you out, idiot. I'm just, y'know, curious. You haven't said shit about dating since Lisa screwed around with Ben, so I wanted to know if you're all right," Craig said.

 

"You're asking an actual question about my feelings? Dude, are you sick?" Adam asked, reaching up to put a hand on Craig's forehead.

 

Craig pushed Adam away, making his friend fall back onto the mattress. "Ugh, I hate you. Leave it."

 

"Dude, I'm just screwing with you. What's up? You never ask personal shit."

 

"Yeah I do!"

 

"What's my favourite colour?" Adam asked, folding his arms across his chest.

 

Craig frowned. "Uh... Green?"

 

"Nope, yellow. All right, spill. Why're you asking me this stuff?"

 

Craig shifted uncomfortably on his chair. "Layla gave me all this stuff to read about toxic masculinity. I thought some of it made sense, and I was... I just was trying to be a better friend, is all."

 

Adam thought about his response. "All right. Let me read that stuff Layla gave you. As for everything else... I'm still a little screwed up about Lisa and Ben, but I'm getting over it. I didn't, like, love her or anything, but it was still a shitty thing for them to do and I'm not going to forgive them for it. As for sex, I dunno. I just don't _care_ about it," he said, shrugging.

 

"Like, at all?"

 

"Nope. The idea grosses me out. Touching people in general is gross," Adam said, scrunching up his nose, then shrugging again.

 

"Okay... So, you're asexual?"

 

Adam nodded. "Yeah, I'm ace. What about you?"

 

"What about me?" Craig asked, a little too quickly.

 

"Dude, I can hack into your PornHub account faster than you can shift," Adam said, rolling his eyes.

 

"You don't want to know my favourite colour?"

 

"I already know it's red. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, just say that. But don't lie to me, okay?"

 

Craig spun around on his chair a couple of times, then kicked at Adam's mattress with his foot. "I like the idea of sex, and dating, and stuff... I just kinda don't care who it's with?"

 

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

 

"Oh, shut up. I just... I'm attracted to a person for who they are, not what's in their pants. I'm pansexual," Craig said, the first time he'd admitted it out loud.

 

They were both silent for a long moment, Adam staring up at the ceiling, both lost in their own thoughts.

 

"My phone's in my pants," Adam said suddenly, hoping to make Craig laugh.

 

Craig laughed and kicked at his mattress again. "Idiot."

 

"Love you too, dude."

 

...

 

End of the fifty-first chapter.


	52. Chapter 52

"Dude, have you seen the new English teacher yet?" Craig asked. "I heard the freshman talking about him; apparently he's the _hottest thing ever_ ," he said with a snicker.

 

"That's my title," Warren deadpanned.

 

"Eth, quick, get your camera out! Warren made a joke! We need to record the moment for posterity! The people of the future need to know!" Zach said, shaking Ethan dramatically.

 

Ethan laughed, adjusting his glasses, and nudged Zach away. "You keep doing that and soon _you'll_ be the hottest thing ever. Literally," he added, grinning at his own joke.

 

"Aww, I love it when you make jokes," Zach said, pressing a loud smacking kiss on Ethan's lips. "I'm totally writing this in my diary."

 

"You have a diary?" Craig sneered.

 

"'Course I do! _Dear Diary, today Craig was a literal dickhead. It was the weirdest day ever_ ," Zach said.

 

Craig laughed. "Dork."

 

Adam stole Craig's chocolate pudding and swapped it for his banana one. Craig frowned at the exchange, then shrugged and kept eating his lunch.

 

"I know who the new English teacher is," Ethan said, nodding over to the cafeteria entrance.

 

"Jared?" Layla said, surprised. She hadn't known he was a teacher.

 

"We've got English with him next. It'll be interesting to see what his teaching style is like," Wendy said.

 

Donny groaned and rubbed his temples. "I have to go and put up a mental block. You should all be ashamed," he called out to the cafeteria in general, standing and leaving without waiting for a response.

 

Jared saw the group and waved, heading over. "Hey, nice to see some familiar faces. How are you?"

 

"Good, thank you, Mr. uh, I don't know your last name," Layla said with an apologetic smile.

 

"Bowman. My friends call me Bowie," Jared said with a conspiratorial wink.

 

"Jared Bowie, really?" Wendy asked, failing to hide her grin.

 

Jared just laughed. "Thankfully, I didn't get the joke until it was too late. It's easier to go by Mr. Bowie here anyway, secret identities and all that. Oh, and Ethan, you're still the only one who's recognised my mother's name. I've gotta teach these kids the error of their ways."

 

Ethan grinned. "We're organising the next barbecue for the 7th of May, after school's finished. Babel will be coming, won't she?"

 

"She's been hounding me about it for weeks, so I can safely say: yes," Jared said. Thinking about his mother, Jared remembered that he'd walked over to ask them a question as well as to say hello. "Oh, what do you guys think about an extra-curricular class?"

 

"We've already - I mean, what kind of class?" Craig asked with a wince when someone kicked his shin.

 

"Well, apart from being an English teacher, I'm also qualified to teach several foreign languages. I thought it could be useful; not all heroes, villains, or citizens speak English, after all."

 

"That's a good point, Mr. Bowie," Layla said, smiling as she thought of the possibilities.

 

"Could you get Babel as a guest speaker?" Ethan asked, far too excited for Craig's eye roll to have any affect on his mood.

 

"Calm down, Eth; Mr. Bowie hasn't even organised it yet. When you do, we totally want in," Zach added.

 

"If you do get Babel in, I'm pretty sure Ethan would be able to fly home without a jetpack," Craig said, snickering as he opened his pudding. "But I'm in, too."

 

The others were surprised at his easy agreement, though they echoed their own after him.

 

Jared laughed. "It's great to see you all so excited about it. I'll talk with Principal Powers and hopefully she agrees. I'll let her know I've already got a group of students willing and ready to learn," he said with a grin. His stomach rumbled loudly and Jared winced at the sound. "Guess that's my cue to get some food. Any recommendations?"

 

"Don't get the lasagne. It's just overcooked mystery meat and undercooked pasta covered in ketchup," Warren said in disgust.

 

"Sounds like something I'd cook. Thanks for the advice," Jared said before heading to the cafeteria line.

 

"All right, Craig; what was that about?" Adam asked.

 

"What was what about?" Craig asked distractedly, trying to scoop out every last drop of pudding from the ridiculously tiny container.

 

"You agreeing to the language class," Wendy said. "You're _still_ complaining about the ASL classes on Saturdays."

 

"That's 'cause it's a weekend; weekends are sacred," Craig said, giving up and setting the empty container on his tray. "I figure if I'm going to change into different people, I should be able to speak their language, yeah? This'll help," he said, shrugging.

 

"Good thinking," Layla said.

 

"What languages do you think he'll teach?" Ethan asked eagerly, drawing everyone into a discussion that only ended when the bell rang.

 

...

 

Principal Powers looked at the two Super Bureau agents, trying to determine what to say. She was surprised by their report, but not _that_ surprised. Sky High had been attacked before and, unfortunately, she doubted that this would be the last time.

 

"You're certain about this?" she asked, sighing.

 

"Yes, ma'am. It's not a malfunction; the bus' fuel line was purposely cut."

 

"The fuel line was taped up again, but it was only meant to delay the problem rather than fix it. Whoever cut the line made sure that the fuel wouldn't start leaking until after the bus transformed to fly up to Sky High."

 

"From the chatter we've heard, it seems multiple people noticed the leaking fuel that left a streak in the clouds up to Sky High, but only a few realised what it actually meant."

 

Principal Powers had a sudden thought: if any villains had seen the fuel path, realised what it meant, and had done something about it _that day_ , Sky High could have been attacked. The realisation sent waves of nausea through her - the children could have been harmed so easily, and she wouldn't have been able to do a thing about it - but she hid it from the Super Bureau agents. Showing weakness in front of them was _never_ a good idea.

 

"We recommend changing the location of the school for the next few weeks," one of the agents added.

 

Principal Powers frowned. "Very well, but what about the bus?"

 

"The repairs have been completed - "

 

"Yes, I know. I mean, what about an investigation? Surely you're going to find out who cut the bus' fuel line? Those children could have been killed!"

 

The two Super Bureau agents looked to each other and then back to Principal Powers.

 

"No one was killed or injured, and by taking pre-emptive action and changing the school's location, the bus won't be tampered with again."

 

"How are you so certain it was an outside job?" Principal Powers asked, hating herself for even _thinking_ it, let alone suggesting the idea to the two agents.

 

"Repairing the bus destroyed any evidence we might have found, Ms. Powers."

 

"I needed to make sure the bus was ready for the students to go home again," she said tersely; the government _still_ hadn't responded to her application for a spare bus, so Principal Powers was limited to the buses Sky High currently had, whether or not they'd been damaged.

 

"Yes, so we've heard."

 

One Super Bureau agent reached into their jacket and handed a pamphlet to Principal Powers. "We've had similar issues before, so we found this helps. Keep it in mind the next time the school's attacked."

 

Principal Powers read the pamphlet title - _What to do when your business is attacked by supervillains!_ \- and tried not to scoff in disbelief. She'd dealt with so many villains and would-be villains over the years that it seemed ridiculous that they thought _she_ needed a pamphlet on how to handle them. "Thank you, I'll keep it in mind."

 

Looking up, Principal Powers realised that the two agents had already left her office. Sighing, she put the pamphlet in her bottom drawer to promptly forget about the ridiculous thing.

 

Deciding to take the Super Bureau agents' advice, Principal Powers set about changing Sky High's coordinates for the next few weeks. As she did so, she wondered if it was worth hiring someone to investigate the sabotaged bus herself. Principal Powers shook her head at the idea almost immediately - the cost for a supered private investigator would be sky high and she would already have a hard enough time with next year's enrolments already likely to be affected by the incident. She needed to retain money where possible.

 

Besides, any parents who were upset about the lack of investigation into the sabotaged bus could be referred straight to the Super Bureau; _see how_ ** _they_** _liked being screamed at by parents and egotistical supers_ , Principal Powers thought, rolling her eyes.

 

...

 

"Why are you pacing?" Sarah asked Honey in exasperation.

 

"I'm not pacing, I'm thinking," Honey replied.

 

"You only pace when you're procrastinating, Honey. Now, why are you pacing?"

 

Honey stopped, opened her mouth, then shook her head and started pacing once more. "Why did you come to see me?"

 

Sarah sighed, realising that Honey wouldn't tell her what was wrong until she was good and ready. "I wanted to say thank you."

 

"For what?" Honey asked absent-mindedly.

 

"For getting Jared the job at Sky High. He's really pleased about it. He even came home yesterday talking about a foreign language extra-curricular class Principal Powers agreed to."

 

"Oh, good. I was worried that she'd say no."

 

Sarah narrowed her eyes at Honey. "You're not using my fiancé for some evil plan, are you?"

 

"Not evil," Honey replied. "Well, not completely," she amended. "So did Jared go with the roses or the chocolates to propose?"

 

"Honey, focus! What are you getting Jared involved in?"

 

Honey stopped again and faced Sarah. "Nothing nefarious. It's a good job and he'll help lots of kids, not just the ones I care about," she said with a brief shrug.

 

"Help them how exactly? He's an English teacher," Sarah pointed out.

 

"Jared's a good role model, for the most part," Honey added, thinking about his last disastrous attempt at boiling an egg which had resulted in a literal egg-splosion. "He knows what it's like to be the kid of a famous super and how to handle that sort of responsibility. Jared will educate them in more than English or foreign languages, and he'll even end up providing a lot of students with international opportunities once he gets Babs in to talk to them."

 

"And the evil plan part?" Sarah asked, sighing heavily.

 

"Not all heroes - or villains - speak English."

 

Sarah looked up at the ceiling and inhaled deeply, exhaling loudly as she looked at Honey once more. "One day, I will say no to whatever evil thing you propose."

 

"No, you won't."

 

"I hate you sometimes."

 

"I know. I love you too, Sarah."

 

"Mm-hmm. Now, what are you pacing about?"

 

"Ah, damn, I thought you'd forgotten," Honey muttered, starting to pace again.

 

"Honey, just tell me. You didn't kill anyone, did you?" Sarah asked, rolling her eyes.

 

Honey coughed. "Well, they didn't die, but they... could have?"

 

Sarah groaned, rubbing her temples. " _Focus on them_ ** _not_** _dying, focus on them_ ** _not_** _dying_ ," she muttered to herself. "Honey, what did you do?"

 

"I cut a bus' fuel line. I taped it back up!" she added quickly.

 

Sarah's jaw dropped. "You mean the Sky High bus that almost killed thirty-five students?! Jared brought home the Sky High school paper; Ethan wrote an article about it - he's actually really good, I thought you'd be interested in reading it," she said, her words fast and incredulous as the potential consequences hit her like a freight train. "You sabotaged the bus that Layla and Warren were on. You almost killed them too... But Layla and Warren saved everyone. Oh fuck, Honey, tell me you didn't _almost kill them all_ for that?!"

 

"Life debts come in handy?" Honey said, wincing.

 

"They couldn't have gained them in any other way?! You almost murdered thirty-five kids, for fuck's sakes!"

 

"I knew they'd survive. Well... a few injuries, broken bones, but no fatalities. There was only one vision where they failed and I knew it wouldn't happen because they've got their full powers now. That possibility faded as soon as they gave each other their powers."

 

"So... you sabotaged the fuel line knowing that Layla and Warren _wouldn't_ die, they'd get life debts from everyone on the bus, and that everyone would survive?"

 

"Yes," Honey said, nodding emphatically.

 

Sarah processed that for a long silent moment. "Okay. So why are you pacing?"

 

"Because I have to tell them that I did it," Honey said. "They're going to be pissed, no matter how I tell them or what I say."

 

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "You want me to tell them, don't you?"

 

Honey smiled quickly, guiltily. "Yes. Please?"

 

"You're going to blackmail me about Jared's job if I don't, aren't you?" she asked, sighing.

 

"Probably."

 

"I definitely hate you now," Sarah muttered, then held her hand out. "Give me your phone."

 

...

 

Surprised to see Honey calling her late in the evening, Layla immediately wondered what was wrong. Leaving the _Paper Lantern's_ kitchen to go to the back staff area, Layla answered the call with no small amount of trepidation.

 

"Hi Layla, it's Sarah."

 

"Is everything all right? Is Honey okay?" Layla asked, her mind immediately latching onto the idea that Honey had to be hurt, kidnapped, or worse, if Sarah was calling her on Honey's phone.

 

"Honey's a pain in the ass, but otherwise fine," Sarah replied. "I'm calling about the bus sabotage."

 

"Oh. Does Honey know who did it?"

 

There was a long moment of silence and Sarah sighed in frustration. "You might want to sit down for this, Layla."

 

Frowning at the seriousness in Sarah's voice, Layla sat on the bench. "All right, I'm sitting down. Would you tell me what's going on? I'm kind of freaking out here," she admitted with a brief humourless laugh.

 

Sarah sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Honey had a vision. As you and Warren have your full powers, she knew that no one would be killed. Keep that in mind, okay?"

 

A cold feeling of dread started to build up along Layla's spine. She knew that Warren could feel her emotions in the kitchen as well and tried to breathe, to stay calm.

 

"Honey sabotaged the bus. She did it knowing that no one would be hurt, and so that you and Warren could get the life debts from all of the students on the bus."

 

Before Sarah had even finished explaining, the staff door opened and Warren walked in, calling over his shoulder in Cantonese that he was going on his break. The door swung closed and he knelt in front of Layla who - as far as he could tell - was going into shock.

 

Carefully prying the phone from her hand, Warren looked at the caller ID. "Honey, what's going on?"

 

"It's Sarah. Honey's fine, she's just feeling exceptionally guilty and will be giving me a holiday in the next month, blackmail or not," Sarah muttered.

 

"What?" Warren asked, confused. Cradling the phone between his shoulder and ear, he pressed his hands to Layla's cheeks, hoping to thaw out her shock. "What did you tell Layla?"

 

"Honey sabotaged the bus, and trust me, Honey doesn't do _anything_ without a very good reason."

 

"What?! _We almost died!_ " Warren hissed, no longer surprised at Layla's shock. If he hadn't been so worried about her, he might've gone into shock himself.

 

"Almost, but you _didn't_. You came into your full powers, Honey knew you would survive, and you've got life debts from everyone on the bus. Not to mention, Principal Powers now thinks you're both heroes," Sarah said, reading Honey's quickly-scrawled note.

 

"Fuck that, Sarah; fuck Honey, too," Warren snapped, ending the call and turning his full attention to Layla. "Hippie? Layla, come on, look at me," he pleaded, not liking the blank and lifeless expression in her eyes.

 

When he didn't get a response, Warren pulled Layla down onto his lap. He cupped her cheeks again, let his power warm his hands, and pressed his lips to her own. Breathing hot air into her mouth, Warren felt his power burning through her body, making her vines shrink and stop taking all of her shock.

 

Layla pulled away from his mouth with a gasp, breathing heavily. She looked from her phone on the bench beside them to Warren, and on his wrist, he could feel that Layla's shock was giving way to anger. "She could have killed us!" Layla snapped.

 

The doorway opened abruptly, Mrs. Woo standing there and not looking at all impressed to find Layla on Warren's lap. "Warren, you left your station early and burnt food."

 

Warren winced and apologised quickly in Cantonese. Seeing that Mrs. Woo wasn't impressed or ready to forgive him, Warren moved Layla onto the bench and stood up to return to his work.

 

Mrs. Woo opened the door completely and waved Warren through the doorway and back to his station. Waiting until he was gone, Mrs. Woo turned her attention to Layla, who still looked pale and shaken up. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Mrs. Woo asked, frowning.

 

"Uh, no. I just... found out a friend did something that could have hurt me," Layla said.

 

"But you are not hurt?"

 

"No. Not physically, at least."

 

"Tea and massage helps with non-physical pains," Mrs. Woo said, confident and firm. "Ask Warren for massage. Later, after work," she added, leaving suddenly, the door swinging shut and blocking the light from the kitchen.

 

She returned just as suddenly, Layla blinking at the sudden adjustment between dark and light.

 

Mrs. Woo held out a small jar of tea leaves to her. "Tea helps," she promised.

 

"Okay... Thank you," Layla said, a little confused.

 

Mrs. Woo nodded, glad to see some colour back in Layla's cheeks. "Work helps too. You remember how to fold napkins?" she asked, holding the door open.

 

Putting the jar of tea and her phone in her bag, Layla followed Mrs. Woo through to the restaurant to fold napkins and keep her mind off what Honey had done.

 

...

 

Giving themselves time to process the shock of what Honey had done, neither Layla nor Warren had a chance to tell their friends what she'd done until their Saturday study group after their morning ASL class.

 

"She sabotaged the bus' fuel line? How?" Ethan asked, trying to say all of the words with his hands as well as his voice.

 

"Nah, that was van, not bus," Craig said, showing Ethan the correct hand motion.

 

"Right, thanks."

 

"You're not shocked or upset by what Honey did? You just want to know _how_ she did it?" Warren asked incredulously.

 

"Well, Sarah said Honey had had a vision and knew you wouldn't be killed, right?" Zach said with a slight shrug.

 

"Principal Powers has stopped glaring at me," Wendy added, her hands moving fluidly as she'd been practising with Heidi.

 

"She's also stopped thinking of you guys as potential villains. It's a shame about the leather jacket, of course," Donny added, fluttering his eyelashes.

 

"We could have died, you realise that, right?"

 

"You didn't though," Adam said. "You saved thirty-five students, you're being praised as Heroes, and _everyone_ wants to be you two."

 

"Seriously, you've got an actual fan club. It's kinda creepy, mostly towards Warren, and full of young impressionable girls," Wendy said, then looked to Ethan and Craig. "Did you understand the hand movement for fan club?"

 

"You used ceiling fan, but it still sorta made sense," Craig said.

 

"Wait, go back to this fan club thing. Who, why, when?" Layla asked, Warren looking horrified beside her.

 

"Cassie started it. Like I said, she's impressionable and thinks Warren's her knight in shining armour now. Not sure when; probably after the bus thing. Heard anything about it through the school paper, Ethan?" Wendy asked.

 

Taking a moment to think about his hand movements, Ethan shook his head. "Nothing yet. I can ask around though."

 

" _A_ _fan club?_ I'll burn her to a freaking crisp, see how she likes that for a knight in shining armour," Warren muttered.

 

"She's practically a child, Warren," Zach pointed out, slowing his hand movements to show the others properly.

 

Warren's mutterings became too low for anyone to hear, though Donny laughed at his thoughts.

 

"This could be good," Layla said, almost to herself.

 

Donny's laughter faded as he looked over to her, his expression becoming thoughtful. Beside her, Warren frowned in confusion.

 

"You forgot the ASL," Adam pointed out.

 

"Sorry," Layla replied with the appropriate hand gesture, then stood up and tugged on Warren's hand. "We'll be right back," she said with the ASL motions before practically dragging Warren out of Frieda's dinging room and up to her bedroom.

 

"What's going on, hippie?" Warren asked.

 

"We can use this," Layla said, pacing as she tried to work out her thoughts in a coherent manner.

 

"Use what? And did everyone forget that Honey almost killed us?" Warren asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

"The others are right: we didn't die and we didn't even get hurt," she replied with a heavy sigh. Layla looked at him, a smile blooming across her face. "Warren, we can _use_ this."

 

Warren's fierce expression lasted the whole of two seconds in the face of Layla's smile. He sighed and uncrossed his arms, then gestured for Layla to keep talking. "You'd better start making sense soon, hippie."

 

"It's long-term and you might hate it," she admitted, warning him. When Warren just waited, Layla continued, "You need to be a knight in shining armour."

 

"What?"

 

"Not forever, of course. I'm still planning on being permanent, but I'm thinking ahead. You're going to be out of Sky High sooner than the rest of us and you'll need to do something other than work at the _Paper Lantern_ since you're not planning on going to university."

 

"So what should I be doing?"

 

"You should be a Hero."

 

"No," Warren said flatly.

 

"You haven't even heard why."

 

"I don't care. Hippie, that's the complete _opposite_ of what we're planning on doing."

 

"Exactly! No one would believe that Warren the Hero would do anything like burn people to a crisp. Not when he's spent a whole year saving them from that exact thing!"

 

" _That exact thing_ ," Warren echoed, then his eyes widened in understanding. "You want me to be a _firefighter?!_ Hippie, are you insane?"

 

"Well, that's up for debate. I mean, most people are probably only pretending to be sane, and then there's the whole 'what is sane?' argument anyway," Layla rambled, then stopped abruptly. "You realise you could start the fires, right? Besides, if you're there as a firefighter, you can determine whether or not you save the people inside."

 

"I could burn them all before any firefighters get there," he snapped.

 

"And have the fire investigated for arson? You know they'll start looking for supers before they look for citizens," she said pointedly. "Besides, it'd really screw with Jetstream and the Commander. Imagine you, the son of Baron Battle, being a Hero and _saving people_ before they even get there. Jetstream would go insane."

 

"Not if I do first," Warren muttered, then let out an annoyed sigh of frustration, running his hands through his hair.

 

"You'll do it?" Layla asked eagerly.

 

"Y'know, I never grew up wanting to be a hero **_or_** a villain, and now in the next three years, I'm going to be both. This sucks, hippie. You've gotta be a plain hero for a while too, just to really feel my misery," Warren muttered.

 

"Deal," Layla said, smiling and rising up on her toes to press a firm kiss to his lips. "Come on, let's go tell the others."

 

...

 

Craig laughed for a full minute before he realised they were serious, his laughter giving way to hiccups and disbelief. "You really - _hic_ \- mean it? Warren, you're going to - _hic_ \- be a _heroic firefighter?!_ "

 

"I don't think I could handle being in real estate," Warren deadpanned.

 

"It's not the job I'm concerned about; it's the _heroic_ part!"

 

"Fires have to be started somehow," Adam said, realising the point of Layla and Warren's decision quickly.

 

Ethan's eyes widened. "Oh, of course! You'll work off a list and won't do several in succession, right?"

 

"What are you talking about?" Craig asked, frowning.

 

" _He's got a list, he's checking it twice,_

_Doesn't care if you're naughty or nice,_

_Warren's gonna burn your house down_ ," Donny sang, trailing off with a laugh. "What? I didn't think it, I just sang it," he added when the others looked at him.

 

"I didn't know you could sing," Wendy said.

 

"I'm a man of mystery," Donny said, winking at her.

 

"You're _something_ all right," Adam muttered, rolling his eyes. "So, was that the big announcement? Can we get back to work now?"

 

"Sure. It's your last week doing the coding, isn't it?" Warren asked.

 

Layla frowned slightly when she realised that Zach hadn't said anything since their announcement and went to sit by him. "Hey, you okay?"

 

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine, why?" Zach asked.

 

"Because you didn't say anything about Warren's future alter-ego job of being a firefighter."

 

Zach grinned. "That's 'cause he'd probably roast me if I said what I wanted to say. I like my skin non-crispy."

 

Layla tilted her head slightly, confused. "What did you want to say?"

 

Zach shook his head and mimed zipping his lips. Across the table, Donny burst out laughing.

 

"What the hell's going on with you, Donny?" Craig asked.

 

Donny just continued to laugh and didn't reply.

 

Craig frowned, looking around the table, his eyes narrowing when he saw Zach and Layla. "What did you two think about?"

 

"I didn't think anything that would cause that," Layla said, nodding at Donny.

 

Zach just grinned and shrugged.

 

"Aw, c'mon. If it's that funny, I gotta hear it!" Craig said.

 

"Warren, could you get a drink for me, please?" Layla asked sweetly.

 

"What's going on?" Warren asked suspiciously, frowning at Donny who was wiping tears from his eyes after laughing so hard.

 

"Nothing!"

 

Warren sighed and shook his head at the obvious lie from all of his friends, but he left to get a drink from the kitchen anyway.

 

"Spill it, light bulb," Craig hissed.

 

"I was just wondering if Warren was planning on doing one of those charity firefighter calendars? He could be Mr. January," Zach said, grinning.

 

Craig burst out laughing, which set Donny off again, and by the time Warren returned with Layla's drink, they were all giggling or laughing in some way or another.

 

"What the hell happened in here?" Warren asked, setting Layla's drink on the coaster, and nudging Zach out of the way so he could sit beside her.

 

Layla inhaled deeply, her eyes flashing green, and she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Don't worry; we were talking about you, not to you."

 

"That's worse," Warren said pointedly.

 

"I know. Thanks for getting my drink," she said, lacing her fingers with his own.

 

"You're all a bunch of weirdos and I'm embarrassed to be friends with you," he muttered, picking up his pen to work on his assignment.

 

"Liar; you love having us for friends," Zach said, his laughter finally dying down.

 

Warren rolled his eyes but didn't deny it.

 

...

 

"Mum, I'm home," Warren called.

 

"Hanging out the laundry," Nina called from the backyard.

 

Leaving his bag and shoes by the door, Warren headed through the house and to the backyard. "Need any help?"

 

"I wouldn't mind a bit of heat if you could manage it? I should've checked the weather before washing the towels," Nina said, glaring up at the cloudy sky overhead.

 

"Do you want them crispy or well done?" Warren asked, pressing his hands on either side of a damp towel and warming it carefully between his palms.

 

"Very funny," Nina said sarcastically, picking up the empty laundry basket. "How was your study group?" she asked, making her way to the back door.

 

"Yeah, all right. We talked about what jobs we're planning on getting after graduation," Warren said, moving to the next towel.

 

Nina paused at the door and set the basket down. "Oh? What jobs are you all planning on, then?" she asked, hoping her tone sounded lighter than the pounding of her heart.

 

She hadn't heard Warren talk about a job beyond his work at the _Paper Lantern_. Even as a child, he had never had an answer when anyone asked what he wanted to be when he grew up.

 

"I'm going to be a stand-up comedian," Warren said.

 

There was a moment of silence. "Well, I'll be in the audience every night," Nina replied firmly.

 

Warren laughed. "I was kidding, Mum, but thanks for the support."

 

 _Thank goodness_ , Nina thought to herself in relief, not daring to voice the thought. "All right, Mr. Comedian, the truth now."

 

Warren grinned and moved to dry another towel. "Ethan wants to be a reporter; he's actually lining up to work at _Labyrinth_ and is already organising that for his work placement. We don't have to do our work placement until senior year, but that's Ethan for you."

 

Nina nodded, not really expecting anything less.

 

"Zach hadn't made a decision by the time we left; Donny's planning on university, though he's not sure if he wants to be a lawyer or a politician; Wendy's going straight into active super work - apparently there's a weather-super organisation or something. Craig's considering acting; Adam's planning on getting a job in IT; and Layla's either going to be an environmental activist or continue working for the Mayor. It depends on if he's still elected by then," Warren said, drying the last towel and starting on their clothes, adjusting the temperature for his mother's silky shirts.

 

"What about you?" Nina asked, moving back to the clothesline to take the towels down and fold them into the basket.

 

"I'm thinking of being a firefighter and going into active super work. If Mrs. Woo doesn't mind the interruptions every now and then, that is."

 

"A firefighter?" Nina echoed, surprised.

 

"Yeah. I mean, I won't get hurt by the flames, and it'd be good to help people," Warren said, barely refraining from pulling a face as he said the words, grateful that his mother couldn't see his expression.

 

"That's - " _a relief; totally unlike your father; completely and utterly surprising_ " - wonderful, Warren. I'm a little surprised, but I'm sure you'll be a great firefighter," she said, smiling.

 

"Thanks, Mum."

 

...

 

"You've got tomorrow night off, don't you?" Layla asked.

 

"Yeah. I was going to finish my work for English; Mr. Bowie wants to know our style of writing and our understanding of the texts before he issues any more readings or assignments," Warren said, his phone held to his ear as he tugged his boots off.

 

"Want to work at the Hive with me? I've got a Mad Science project due next week."

 

"Yeah, sure. Want to go to the oasis once we're done?"

 

"Sounds good to me. Did you tell your mum about the firefighting idea?"

 

"I did; she totally loved it. I think she cried afterwards, though I'm not sure if it was from joy or relief," Warren said, throwing his socks in his laundry hamper and grinning when they both went in without touching the edges.

 

"Hmm, probably both. You're not worried that she'll compare you to your father, are you?"

 

Warren's grin faded and he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm not really worried about it, since I know it'll happen either way, but I'm hoping she'll see past that to what we're really doing."

 

"And what are we _really_ doing?" Layla asked, grinning.

 

"Fixing an unjust system that's far too bias towards two superheroes when there are others out there that are just as capable - or even better - than they are. Citizens of the world rely on them winning and that won't always be the case. One day, someone will defeat them, and the world will fall without any sort of support structure in place. We can fix that," Warren said firmly.

 

"Defeating them will definitely fix that," she replied with a laugh.

 

Outside Warren's room, Nina was standing still, her hand still raised to knock on his door. Lowering her hand slowly, she quietly left the hallway and went to the kitchen. Coughing slightly to clear both her throat and her mind, Nina called out, "Good night!"

 

Warren called 'good night' back to her, oblivious to the fact that Nina had heard his dialogue about fixing an unjust system.

 

Heading to her bedroom, Nina closed and locked the door behind her, her hands trembling. Opening her wardrobe, she looked at the bulky shelf that separated the top of the wardrobe from the lower hanging space. Nina tugged on the block of wood to pull it loose, waving to clear the dust that escaped. Reaching into the small dark space, her fingers closed around material, and she pulled the object out of its hiding spot.

 

Leaning the plank of wood against the wardrobe, Nina sat on her bed and carefully unwrapped the material back, revealing a framed picture of herself and Barron on the day Warren was born. Nina was adamant that Warren was the best thing they'd ever done together, and that hadn't changed over the years. For the first few months of Warren's life, Barron had even discussed hanging up the mantle of Baron Battle and focusing on being a father and husband instead. It hadn't happened, of course.

 

Barron couldn't handle the idea of Warren growing up in a world that was biased towards the likes of the Commander and Jetstream and _against_ supers like him: supers who were born with destructive powers, supers that had no way of controlling what power they were given and yet were instantly condemned for that power.

 

 _As soon as Warren came into his fiery power -_ Barron had never once considered their son might have **her** power _\- he would be hated, scorned and condemned by citizens and supers alike_ , he'd said over and over, as though it was a promise.

 

When Baron Battle had been arrested and brought to trial, he suddenly went silent. It had scared Nina when she'd seen him silent and submissive in court, so far removed from the husband and villain she knew, the man who needed the world to know he was there and he wouldn't go down without a fight. His screams and shouts, she could understand, but the cold silence burning away inside of him was so alien to everything she knew about her husband that she wanted to yell ' _you've got the wrong man! That's not my husband!_ '

 

Barron had stayed silent throughout the trial, but then when the verdict had come - _guilty, guilty, guilty, sentenced to quadruple lifetimes in Maxville's Super Penitentiary_ \- Barron had stood up and screamed about an unjust system, the bias the jury had towards the Commander and Jetstream, and how one day the two superheroes would fail and the world would fall to pieces around them. His outburst had been kept from the court's official transcripts to 'maintain the peace', and despite the public's interest in Barron's case, there had been no reporters allowed inside of the court for the trial of _Baron Battle v. The Commander, Jetstream, and the City of Maxville_. Barron had been silent throughout the trial, and he had been silenced afterwards as well.

 

Nina wiped at the tear that had fallen onto the photo frame, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle the sobs that wanted to escape.

 

_How, after all of these years, was her son practically quoting her husband's final words before he had been hauled off to prison?_

 

Nina wrapped the photo frame up again, unable to look at her ex-husband's face for one more second. She placed the wrapped frame back into the recess of the wardrobe's shelf, and shoved the plank of wood back in place. Her heart felt like it was hammering in her chest and Nina forced herself to breathe - _in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out_ \- with her hand pressed to her chest to keep her heart from beating its way out.

 

When she was finally calm again, Nina changed into her pyjamas and went to bed. She tossed and turned for what felt like hours, and as she drifted off to sleep, Nina had one final thought: _what if they're right?_

 

...

 

End of the fifty-second chapter.


	53. Chapter 53

Warren kissed Layla, their bodies literally burning as leaves and ferns created a mattress beneath them, alive and unharmed by the flames. Layla's body arched, pressing against him in the most delicious ways, a soft moan escaping when Warren moved to press a hot kiss against her neck. He was vaguely aware of an alarm sounding, but he refused to acknowledge the noise, and continued to kiss Layla's sun-warm skin, her head tilted back to give him better access. Warren was, of course, happy to oblige.

 

"Warren?" Layla said, sounding breathless and reluctant to interrupt him.

 

"Mmm?" he replied, distracted as he created a new pattern on her neck.

 

"We have to go, or we'll miss the bus."

 

"We can catch the next one," Warren replied.

 

"You said that about this one," Layla said with a grin. "This is the last bus home."

 

"Then we'll walk," he said.

 

Layla laughed and pushed him away. "Do I need to remind you how many times you complained the last time we walked home?"

 

"Layla."

 

"Warren."

 

He groaned and muttered something under his breath. Layla rolled her eyes and slipped off the bed, adjusting her clothes and putting her shoes back on.

 

"Come on, the sooner we're home, the sooner we can continue," she offered with a smile, holding her hand out for him.

 

Warren sighed and took her offered hand, getting off the bed and adjusting his jeans briefly. "You're lucky I love you, hippie."

 

"I know; I love you, too," Layla said, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

 

It took Warren almost twenty minutes into their bus trip to realise what he'd said.

 

"That wasn't how I meant to say it, you know," Warren said, accidentally interrupting Layla and their conversation about roses.

 

Layla blinked, confused at the non-sequitur. "How you meant to say what?"

 

"That I love you."

 

"Oh. So, you don't love me?" she asked, frowning.

 

"No, wait, yes! I mean, I wanted to say I love you and have it mean something, not 'you're lucky I love you' - it's a dick thing to say."

 

"That's because you were thinking with your dick," Layla said, laughing when he put a hand over his face and groaned. "You set yourself up for that one, Warren."

 

"That doesn't mean you have to say it," he muttered.

 

"Most of our friends would disagree with you," Layla said, taking his hand off his face and kissing his knuckles, her lips still curved in a smile. "Why don't you just say it again?"

 

"The dick thing?"

 

"No, the 'I love you' thing."

 

"Oh. Here, on the bus? It's not exactly romantic," Warren pointed out.

 

Layla shrugged. "If you mean it, then that's all that matters. Besides, love isn't always perfect moments and places. It's messy and painful and hard work. If you mean it, then it means just as much here and now as it did there and then."

 

Warren sat up straighter, cupped Layla's face and kissed her firmly. "I love you."

 

Layla smiled as they pulled apart, licking her lips. "I love you."

 

Realising that they were about to miss their stop, Warren pressed the button, the driver coming to an abrupt stop in response. "Sorry!" Warren called out.

 

The driver lifted a hand in acknowledgement and opened the back doors for them.

 

Warren took Layla's hand and guided her off the bus and up the street to Frieda's house.

 

"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to stay over, but I think that's out of the question now," Layla said, nodding to Frieda's driveway where Nina's car was sitting.

 

"We can sneak in and pretend we've gone to my place instead," Warren said, pressing a kiss to the hickey on her neck.

 

"Tempting, but we'd be caught out when Nina went home and found out we weren't there," Layla murmured. "Why do you think Nina's here? Frieda didn't mention that she'd be coming over before I left this morning."

 

Warren frowned, realising that his mother hadn't mentioned anything about visiting Frieda either. "Do you think something's wrong?"

 

"We'll find out soon enough," Layla murmured as they walked up the driveway past Nina's car.

 

Hearing Ari barking as the stepped on the porch, Layla and Warren realised that Honey was there as well, though her car was nowhere to be seen. Neither one of them had spoken to her since finding out what she'd done to the bus, and they weren't entirely pleased at having Honey's presence forced on them.

 

"Honey's allowed to visit her mother," Layla told herself sternly, the door opening a second later.

 

"Oh, good, I'm glad it's you. I was worried that Ari was barking at someone who had come to rob me," Frieda said.

 

"We've come for the silverware," Warren deadpanned, Frieda laughing brightly in response.

 

"Go right ahead, dear: it's not worth the insurance premiums, and I have far too much cutlery anyway."

 

"Is Honey here?" Layla asked as they went inside, stopping to take her shoes off.

 

Ari rushed over, barking eagerly and demanding attention. Layla dropped to her knees, patting the eager puppy and cooing over him when he rolled to expose his belly.

 

"Oh, no, she had to leave early to visit Sarah and Jared. She's left Ari with me and will be picking him up in the morning."

 

"Is my Mum okay?"

 

Frieda looked troubled at Warren's question, her expression enough to make both Layla and Warren stop short. "She will be okay in time, I think. It's a difficult thing to have one's beliefs and world-view turned upside down unexpectedly."

 

"What do you mean?" Warren asked, confused.

 

Frieda shook her head. "Leave it be for now, dear. I think your mother just needs some time to adjust and then she'll talk to you about it.

 

"Now, we've both had quite a bit of wine this evening, so you'll be staying here for the night. Nina brought clean laundry over for the morning," she added, patting Warren's hand. "Why don't you say goodnight to your mother and head on upstairs? Have you eaten dinner yet?" Frieda asked.

 

"Nothing more than some fruit and vegetables. We got caught up studying."

 

Seeing the hickey on Layla's neck, Frieda doubted that _studying_ is all that kept them occupied that day. "I'll heat up some leftovers for both of you," she said with a smile.

 

"Thank you, Frieda," Layla said, hugging her. "I'll just go get changed; I'll be right back," she said over her shoulder as she headed upstairs to her bedroom.

 

Ari raced after Layla, bounding up the stairs. While Layla didn't have her mother's gift, she had grown up with her mother talking to animals daily, so she felt as though she could understand a little of what Ari was saying. He'd had a fantastic day of smelling things and running around and being patted and loved. Layla smiled and reached down to scratch between Ari's ears, laughing when the puppy's back leg went wild.

 

Warren looked after them for a moment, then to Frieda, who was looking back at him with a piercing look. "Uh... I should go see my Mum now."

 

"A word before you go, dear," Frieda said, a hand on Warren's forearm to still him. "If you hurt my daughter, I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth and make sure you pay for every _second_ of her anguish with _days_ of your own, do you understand?"

 

Warren nodded. "I wouldn't dream of hurting Layla, Ms. Bettendorf," he said seriously.

 

Frieda beamed in response. "I'm glad to hear it. Now, go say hello to your mother while I heat some food up for you."

 

"Thank you," Warren said, feeling like he was experiencing emotional whiplash, leaving the foyer to go to the lounge room.

 

Nina was sitting across the lounge, one foot dangling off the side, and she was humming something under her breath as she tried to balance the wine glass on her forehead. The coffee table had close to three empty bottles of wine, and as Warren approached, he saw a fourth by the couch his mother was sitting on.

 

"Mum?"

 

"Ah!" Nina screamed, jolting upright and the wine glass flying forward.

 

Catching the glass before it fell and shattered, Warren placed it on the coffee table beside the bottles. He moved the fourth bottle onto the coffee table as well and looked at his mother. "Are you all right?"

 

She smiled up at him, big and bright, her eyes glazed. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm good! Frieda... Frieda went to get ice cream," Nina said, putting her finger to her lips in a shushing motion. "Don't tell my diet."

 

"Um... I won't?"

 

"Good boy. You're so good," Nina said with another drunken smile. Then her smile fell and she peered up at Warren. "You look like him, sometimes."

 

Warren sighed. "I know; I'm his spitting image," he said, repeating what people - both ex-friends and strangers - had said of him and his father.

 

"No, not in looks!" Nina said emphatically, waving her hand back and forth a few times too many. "In your eyes. You look like him. He was good too, once," she murmured, her hand flopping by her side. "Or maybe I only thought that 'cause... 'cause I loved him?" Sitting up abruptly, Nina held the lounge until the room stopped spinning. "Wine?"

 

"I think you've had enough, Nina. I brought ice cream, as promised," Frieda announced, bringing a bowl over to her. "Warren, dear, your dinner's in the kitchen. It's best if you say good night now," she added.

 

"Right. Good night, Mum," Warren said, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, Nina laughing at the ticklish sensation.

 

"Good night. Ooh, ice cream!"

 

"Good night, Frieda. I'm not sure what's going on, or what happened, but thank you for looking after my mum," Warren said, bending to kiss her cheek.

 

Frieda smiled and patted his cheek. "Don't you worry about it, dear. You enjoy your dinner and get a good night's rest. I've put Ari to bed now, so he should be quiet until morning."

 

Warren nodded and left the lounge room, still a little confused about everything, but grateful that Frieda was helping his mother through whatever this was.

 

"You okay?" Layla asked, setting her spoon down.

 

"Mum's drunk, and I've got no idea why. It's not their anniversary, his birthday, or even the month he was arrested. She doesn't usually drink like this; says it screws up her powers for a week."

 

Layla frowned. "That's weird. Do you think she's all right?"

 

Warren shrugged. "I hope so. Frieda's looking after her, so she should be all right in that sense, at least."

 

Sitting at the kitchen bench beside Layla, Warren took up his spoon and started eating his dinner.

 

"Frieda said we could have ice cream afterwards, if we want. She bought a vegan one that's made with almond milk. It's must be really good since there's, like, four tubs in the freezer and another two in the recycling bin already. They definitely weren't there this morning," Layla added, licking her spoon clean.

 

Warren nodded, letting Layla's words wash over him as he finished his dinner and tried not to worry about his mother too much.

 

Layla put their dishes in the dishwasher and took a tub of ice cream from the freezer, taking two spoons and Warren's hand as she led him upstairs.

 

"What are you doing, hippie?" he asked as Layla shut the door behind them.

 

"We're going to eat this tub of ice cream and talk."

 

"About what?"

 

"Whatever's on your mind," Layla said, shrugging. She opened the tub and offered both it and a spoon to Warren.

 

He rolled his eyes, but took both the tub and spoon, taking a mouthful if only to delay the _talking_ part of this whole thing.

 

"Good?" Layla asked, stealing the tub and eating a mouthful for herself. "Ooh, caramel, yum."

 

Warren held the tub in Layla's hand and took another spoonful. "It's nice."

 

"Mmm," Layla agreed, her mouth full.

 

Warren laughed and kissed her, her lips cool against his.

 

Layla moved back, taking the ice cream with her. "I was thinking about what Craig and Zach said the other day," she said, digging at a stubbornly frozen chunk of ice cream.

 

"They say a lot of things, hippie," Warren pointed out.

 

"True," she said with a nod, letting out a noise of triumph when the ice cream chunk finally dislodged. "Ooh, extra caramel."

 

"You've really got a thing for caramel, don't you?"

 

Layla poked her tongue out at him before chewing on the chunk of ice cream happily. Swallowing, she handed the ice cream tub back to Warren. "They were joking about having a diary. I thought it was a good idea."

 

"What?" Warren asked, surprised enough to stop digging at the ice cream.

 

"Well, there's this whole thing about men becoming dependent on the women in their lives because they only talk to women about their feelings due to toxic masculinity and not being able to confide in their male friends the same way. So if these women leave or die or something happens to them, there's a really high suicide rate among men because they just don't know how to cope with these things happening because the women they relied upon aren't there anymore.

 

"It's not a healthy way of dealing with emotions, and bottling them up basically makes them explode later - they don't go away, they just fester until they bubble up and overflow, usually in bad ways. So, I thought a diary would help."

 

Warren licked his lips, realised he was still holding the ice cream, and dug out another bite. He held out the tub for Layla as he chewed slowly, letting the ice cream melt in his mouth for a moment longer. Eventually he swallowed and had to respond. "What if someone reads it?"

 

"If you wanted a hand-written diary, then that's up to you. I was thinking electronic. Adam could do something password-protected and encrypted, as well as whatever other security is needed these days," Layla said, handing the tub back. "You don't even have to say it's for a diary, just a simple document file."

 

Warren took another mouthful and let it melt slowly before swallowing, passing the tub back to Layla. "If I'm doing one, then so are you."

 

She had already considered the option for herself, so Layla nodded easily. "All right. You don't _have_ to do it, you know."

 

"I know, hippie. It's a good idea. Now give the ice cream back."

 

"You've got to catch me first," she said with a laugh, darting out of his reach.

 

Warren grinned, a vine flicking out and stretching towards Layla. She was caught in a second, still laughing. Before he could feel too victorious, the vine caught on fire and Layla stepped out of the vine easily, moving towards him with a fireball resting in one palm.

 

" _Dear diary, Layla's gorgeous and I can't believe I get to call her mine_ ," Warren said, tugging her close and kissing her, Layla's arms wrapping around his neck.

 

"I was going to say the same about you," Layla replied, her lips brushing against his. "Let me put the tub down before we ruin the sheets," she said with a smile.

 

Warren hadn't even felt the cold tub on his back, and he laughed at the realisation. "I might've melted whatever was left, hippie."

 

Layla pouted when she saw that the last of the ice cream had turned into liquid. "Damn. I was going to finish that off."

 

"Let me try something," Warren said, a thought occurring to him. "It might not work," he said, even as he pressed his fingertips to the tub covered in condensation.

 

"What... Warren, what are you doing?" Layla asked, watching incredulously as the ice cream stopped melting and became solid again.

 

"It melted because of heat, so I took the heat out of it. I didn't actually think that would work," he admitted with a laugh, watching as Layla took up the final scoop of now-solid ice cream and ate it, licking her spoon clean.

 

"Do you think that would work on other things?" Layla asked, dropping their spoons in the empty tub.

 

"What things?"

 

"Well, most people are warm-blooded, aren't they?" she asked with a devious grin.

 

"Just give me a name, hippie, and I'll see what I can do."

 

Layla grinned and whispered a name in his ear.

 

Warren laughed and kissed her hotly. "Done."

 

"I'm sad that the ice cream's gone, but I've been told on good authority that massages help with emotional pain."

 

"Whose authority?" Warren asked, frowning.

 

"Mrs. Woo. She said for me to drink tea and ask for a massage from you. After work," Layla added with a serious nod.

 

Warren shook his head, not really surprised. Mrs. Woo had given him the same advice after he'd come in to work the day after Barron's birthday. He still hadn't taken her advice, though he wondered what it would be like to be massaged by Layla, her hands warm and firm on his skin. "All right, hippie. I'll give you a massage if you give me one."

 

"Deal," Layla said, kissing Warren and tugging him close. Hearing the clock downstairs chime, Layla looked over to her small desk clock and saw that it was ten o'clock. "Looks like we might have to postpone the massages; it's later than I realised," she said with a disappointed sigh.

 

Warren sighed as well, his forehead resting against hers. "We'll make time for it next weekend, okay?"

 

"Looking forward to it," Layla said with a smile, pressing a light kiss to his mouth. "I'm going to brush my teeth; back soon."

 

"Hurry back, hippie."

 

While Layla was getting ready for bed, Warren went through the bag his mother had brought for him, seeing that she'd included both his laundry and school books for the next day. Glad he didn't have to worry about it, Warren looked for his toothbrush. He found it buried at the bottom of the bag, along with a strip of condoms.

 

"Mum included my laundry, school books, toothbrush and deodorant, and as an added bonus: a whole strip of condoms. I don't know how much sex she thinks we're having, but apparently, it's a lot," Warren said when Layla returned from the ensuite.

 

"What, no lube?" Layla asked with a laugh.

 

"No; I'll add that to the list," he said, rolling his eyes.

 

"No need, I've got my own."

 

"What? Hippie, explain. I need details," Warren added.

 

"Just because we're not having sex, it doesn't mean I don't have hormones. I get horny, and the lube helps," Layla said, shrugging.

 

Warren stared at her, as though she would start masturbating right then and there if he stared and wished hard enough.

 

Layla rolled her eyes. "Really, Warren?"

 

Warren stood up abruptly, crowding up against her body so close that she could feel the heat emanating from his body, her body warming where they touched. Without a word of warning, Warren kissed her, hard and eager. He pulled away just as abruptly, his lips brushing against her ear. "One day, when you're ready and comfortable, I want to watch."

 

Layla made some sort of noise in response, but by the time her mind cleared properly, Warren was in the ensuite and going through his own nightly routine. Her knees feeling weak, Layla sat on her bed and fanned her warm face.

 

Warren returned to the bedroom to find Layla lying down, scrolling through her phone. She smiled over at him with green eyes. He grinned back with blue eyes, knowing that she'd used her power to calm her emotions because of him.

 

Setting her phone aside, Layla watched Warren as he crossed her room, the strides full of purpose and intent. He was lying beside her in a moment, kissing her and consuming her.

 

Pulling away to breathe, Layla smiled and stroked his cheek with her knuckles gently. "I love you, Warren."

 

"I love you, Layla."

 

Kissing once more, Warren held up the sheet for Layla so she could get comfortable, her back pressed up against his chest. Letting the sheet fall, Warren pressed a kiss to Layla's cheek, then the hickey on her neck, and then the curve of her shoulder.

 

"Good night, Warren," Layla said, kissing his hand before cuddling his arm to her chest.

 

"Night, hippie."

 

...

 

Nina woke up with a hangover, forcibly reminding herself of _why_ she didn't drink to excess anymore. Everything felt like it was spinning individually at the same time, and that included her own damn brain.

 

"Oww," she groaned, her mouth stale and full of cotton wool.

 

"Good morning, dear."

 

Blinking blearily in the darkness, Nina tried to work out which inanimate object was talking to her. It was a few seconds before Nina realised that Frieda was standing in the doorway. She tried to respond, but only managed another pained groan.

 

"I know, dear. I brought you some aspirin, water, and a bucket," Frieda said, setting all three on the coffee table beside her. "Layla and Warren have left for school, and your work has been informed that you've come down with a bug. Just sleep and rest, all right?"

 

Nina sat up slowly, cradling the bucket to her chest. When the dizziness subsided, she forced herself to drink the glass of water and take the aspirin. "Thank you," she croaked before Frieda left the room.

 

"You're most welcome, dear. I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready," Frieda said, closing the door quietly.

 

Behind her, she heard Nina groan as she presumably lowered herself back onto the couch to go back to sleep. Frieda closed the kitchen door to muffle any more noise.

 

"How is she?" Honey asked at the kitchen bench, looking at the breakfast tray Layla and Warren had set up for Nina.

 

"Hungover, but hopefully the water and aspirin will help," Frieda said.

 

"As long as she doesn't throw up in the next few minutes, Nina will be fine," Honey said, scratching Ari behind the ears. "Was Ari good?"

 

"Yes, though how a puppy that tiny managed to take up half a queen size bed, I'll never know," Frieda said with a laugh.

 

Honey grinned. "Wait 'til he's bigger. Thank you for looking after him, Mum; I appreciate it."

 

"I know. How are Sarah and Jared?"

 

"Good; they're engaged now, did I tell you?"

 

"No, you didn't! What have they planned so far? When will the wedding be? Where will it be?" Frieda asked immediately.

 

Honey laughed. "I honestly have no idea. They're so up in the air about it all, I'm surprised that they even decided to get engaged in the first place."

 

"Oh, hush. Tell Sarah to come by; I'll help her organise it all. Oh, I'll have to let the girls know! They'll be so excited," Frieda said, patting her pockets to find her phone.

 

"I'll let Sarah know; she'll visit on the weekend," Honey said. "You left your phone in your knitting basket," she added.

 

"Oh, thank you, dear."

 

"I'd better get to work now, Mum. Lucky Ari, you get to be spoiled by all of the touch- and emotionally-starved supers at work," Honey cooed.

 

"Don't tease them; you know how hard it is to get a date as a super," Frieda said.

 

Wincing when she realised where the conversation was heading, Honey picked up Ari. "Yes, I know. I've got to go to work now. Love you, bye!"

 

Frieda shook her head after her daughter's hurried exit, and went upstairs to find her knitting basket and phone.

 

In the kitchen, the breakfast tray was set up with two hand-written notes from Layla and Warren, a mug for coffee, and a note for Frieda stating that they'd left overnight oats in the fridge for when Nina woke up.

 

_Dear Nina,_

_I hope you feel better soon!_

_Layla xx_

 

_Hi mum,_

_Take care & drink lots of water._

_Love you._

_\- W_

 

...

 

"I need your help," Layla said.

 

"What with? I didn't do great with my studies last year - " Wendy admitted.

 

Layla waved her off impatiently. "No, not that; I need your help with Magenta," she said, glancing around to ensure they wouldn't be overheard.

 

Wendy blinked a few times, then a smile spread across her face. "What do you need?"

 

"Can you come over on Friday night? I want to have a proper discussion about it, not just a three-minute thing in the hallway."

 

Wendy snorted. "That's two minutes longer than my last boyfriend... Yeah, sure I'll come over on Friday. That means the bus, yeah?" she asked with a heavy sigh.

 

"Yes, but Frieda will take us to the ASL class on Saturday in her Mustang if I ask nicely."

 

Wendy's eyes widened. "She has a 'stang?"

 

Laughing at her friend's expression, Layla nodded. "Yeah, she's promised to let me drive it when I get my license."

 

"Frieda's amazing," Wendy said with a sigh.

 

"Yeah, she is," Layla agreed, smiling. "I'll let Frieda know you'll be over on Friday then. See you later," she said over her shoulder, hurrying to her next class when she saw that the hallway was almost empty.

 

Grabbing the last of her things for study period, Wendy headed to the study hall, wondering not for the first time what Layla had planned for Magenta.

 

...

 

Adam connected to his VPN and opened Tor, an anonymous Internet browser, before navigating to his disposable email address for what could be the final time. Opening the draft messages folder, Adam found a message from his instructor.

 

 _Your last task is available below. Good luck, Acidic_.

[unknown] user has signed off

 

Cutting and pasting the task's instructions into a document, Adam deleted the draft message and emptied the trash folder as well. With that process complete, he returned his attention back to his task and started to read what he needed to do.

 

Adam re-read the task another three times before he decided how to proceed. Slipping his headphones on, he stretched and rolled his shoulders then cracked his neck from side to side before he began.

 

A knock at the door had Adam switching programs with Alt-Tab, his Mad Science homework displayed in an instant. Ethan had already finished it, of course, but Adam needed to read over it and make sure it still sounded like his own style of writing, and to get an actual understanding of the assignment itself.

 

"Adam? Oh, good, you're home. Since it's our takeaway night for February, I let your father choose what to bring home for dinner; have you eaten yet?" Ida, his mother, asked.

 

"Not yet, Ma. What'd Pa bring?" he asked, tugging off his headphones and following his mother downstairs.

 

"General Tso's. He's been craving it for a month, apparently," Ida replied with a laugh.

 

"Nice. Are you working tonight?" Adam asked, sitting at the dining table.

 

"Double shift starting at 11pm," she said, nodding to where her purple scrubs were sitting with her handbag at the front door. "Just a few more weeks of double shifts, and we'll be able to pay off the car," Ida said, sighing in relief.

 

"Car registration's coming up," Curtis, Adam's father, reminded her.

 

Pausing in serving her dinner, Ida looked stricken at the reminder. "I thought it was due in April! How much?" she asked with a heavy sigh.

 

"The letter came today; it's due March 10th. Four-fifty for six months," Curtis replied.

 

Ida muttered under her breath as she finished serving her dinner. "We'll have to take money out of the mortgage overdraft to pay for it."

 

"We did that last month for the water bill. Overdraft's down to four hundred; we were planning on using that to float the next mortgage payment so we could pay off the car. The car has a higher interest rate than the mortgage," Curtis added.

 

"I've got it," Adam said, looking between his parents. "I've been saving; I've got the four hundred in a savings account."

 

Technically, it was Adam's small share of money from "Mr. Phillips", but Layla and Warren had said they could use it for whatever they liked. Craig and Zach had pooled their money together to purchase a projector; Ethan had put his money in a high-interest savings account where he couldn't access it for the next six months. Adam had been curious about that account for himself, but he needed to be able to access money for his own sanity and stress-levels.

 

Ida couldn't hold back a sigh of relief, and she reached over to squeeze her son's hand tightly. "Are you sure, Adam? We can work it out with what we've got," she offered.

 

"I'm sure, Ma. Besides, I know you'll pay me back," he added with a quick smile.

 

"Of course. As soon as the car's paid off, we'll start paying you back," Ida promised.

 

"Thanks, Adam. You're a good kid, y'know that?" Curtis said, smiling at him and reaching over to ruffle his hair.

 

Adam laughed. "Yeah, thanks, Pa."

 

"You can choose the takeaway night for March, okay? We'll have whatever you want," Ida promised, kissing his cheek.

 

"All right, I'll think about it," Adam said. "C'mon, eat up, Ma. You don't want indigestion for a double shift," he said, nodding to his mother's plate.

 

She smiled at him and continued eating her dinner, the knot of anxiety in her stomach only lessening slightly as now she had to add repayments back to Adam to her mental list of bills.

 

"I've got a temp job starting tomorrow; construction starting early at 5am and finishing around 5pm. It'll help bring in some extra cash until I can get back into architecture," Curtis said.

 

Adam took a mouthful of food and nodded. His father had been saying for almost nine months that he'd get back into architecture, but it still hadn't happened. Curtis was a great architect, but after one of his buildings had been accidentally demolished by the Commander, no one had wanted to hire him again. Since then, he had been jumping from job to job - from brick-layer to painter and now construction - trying to get his name and work as an architect seen again.

 

Still, this was the first time in almost a week that Adam had had dinner with both of his parents present, so he took the opportunity to catch them up on nearly everything he'd been doing. He showed them the ASL signing he'd been learning, told them about his grades after the midterms, and talked in general about his friends and their outings to the Hive - _a beekeeper's_ , he added - on the outskirts of town. Curtis and Ida were surprised but supportive; Adam wanted to tell them about his hacking and cracking work, but doubted they'd support _that_ as easily.

 

All too soon, Ida had to leave for work, and Curtis had to go to bed early if he was going to get to the construction site by 5am.

 

With his father snoring down the hallway and his mother gone for the night, Adam closed his door, slipped his headphones on, and continued his work.

 

...

 

"'Lo?" Layla answered her phone with little more than a groan of acknowledgement.

 

"Layla? Is that you?"

 

"Adam?" Layla said sleepily, blinking over to her clock. "It's four in the morning."

 

"Oh, shit. My bad, I didn't check. I'll call back later," Adam said, wincing on realising that it was far too early for a Sunday morning.

 

"No, no; I'm awake now. What's up?" Layla asked, yawning widely.

 

"I was given my last task and I've finished it."

 

"Uh-huh. Congratulations?"

 

Adam laughed a little. "Thanks. I'm calling because it involves you. Or your job, at least."

 

A little more awake now, Layla reluctantly slipped out of her bed and away from Warren's warmth. "Oh, really?"

 

Adam grinned and detailed his final task. When Adam had finished, Layla was laughing so hard that she'd woken Warren up.

 

Warren took Layla's phone from her to ask what the hell was going on so damn early in the morning. Unperturbed by his tone, Adam told Warren what he'd done as well.

 

"Well, that almost makes up for the early morning. Get some sleep, Adam."

 

"Yeah, all right. Say 'bye to Layla for me."

 

Hanging up the phone, Warren looked to Layla, who was muffling her laughter behind her hand. He pulled her close and kissed her firmly, his lips curving into a grin. Layla pulled away, giggling a little hysterically. Warren tugged her back over to the bed, pulling her down into his arms.

 

"Go back to sleep, hippie. We'll talk about it at a more reasonable hour," he murmured against her cheek.

 

"Can't wait," Layla said, sleepy now that her laughter had subsided.

 

Warren grinned broadly as he thought about what Adam had told them, then settled down to sleep as well.

 

...

 

End of the fifty-third chapter.


	54. Chapter 54

Layla waved to Dave as she walked into work with Wendy by her side. They headed to the elevators and up to the Mayor's floor, going over to Layla's desk as Wendy looked around the office space curiously. The office wasn't completely empty yet, and Layla needed it to stay that way for a little while longer.

 

Picking up her phone handset, Layla pressed an inconspicuous red button the side of the phone panel.

 

"Hello?" the Commander asked.

 

"There's trouble on the corner of Fifth and Sycamore," Layla said, hanging up before the Commander could respond.

 

"That's it?" Wendy asked.

 

Layla smiled and nodded. "It's not as detailed as some of their calls, but it should be enough. I'm going to put my evening snack away; do you want me to show you the staff kitchen?"

 

"Yeah, sure," Wendy said, following Layla through the office to the staff tea room.

 

Layla chatted on blithely, Wendy picking up things curiously. When she had the TV remote control, Wendy turned the volume up to the loudest setting.

 

"Do you have a vending machine in here? I didn't bring anything," Wendy said.

 

"There's two down in the foyer," Layla said, heading back to her desk where her phone was ringing. "Hello Dave, this is Layla," she answered, seeing the caller ID.

 

"Did you just go upstairs with an unauthorised person without signing them in?"

 

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Dave. Wendy's a friend from school, I didn't even think about getting her to sign in," Layla said, wincing. "I'll send her back down now. Sorry!"

 

"Next time, make sure she signs in and gets a visitor's badge before going anywhere in the building," Dave said sternly.

 

"Of course. Thank you, Dave," Layla said, hanging up the phone and looking to Wendy guiltily. "You have to go back to the foyer to sign in as a visitor."

 

A cloud passed over Wendy's features and she looked as though she was fighting the urge to create a storm outside. "If I miss this..."

 

"You won't; Dave's got his own TV downstairs. If you're quick, you won't miss a thing," Layla said. "Why not get something from the vending machine while you're there?"

 

Wendy muttered under her breath, but grabbed her purse from her bag and went back over to the elevators to go down to the foyer.

 

Adam's final task had seemed simple enough at first glance: post an anonymous message on a black-listed website and monitor the responses. In reality it had been much more difficult: the website was a known forum for villains and therefore frequently monitored by the Super Bureau. An anonymous message posted on the forum put up every red flag possible in the Super Bureau, so checking the responses was fraught with even more danger than posting the original message. Still, Adam had managed it - only _just_ logging out of the site as the Super Bureau logged in - and sent Layla a message stating that the challenge had been answered _three_ times.

 

Due to [ _unknown_ ]'s teachings, Adam knew how to encrypt the message when it was accessed by certain IP addresses, and the Super Bureau's IP address was their worst kept secret. After accessing their staff files, Adam was even able to block the Super Bureau's employees from discovering his message from their own homes. Adam knew that they wouldn't dare to access the villains' forum in a public place or with a public Wi-Fi connection, as they'd have their own colleagues coming for them before they managed a single keystroke. Adam couldn't hold back his laughter when he realised that the Super Bureau were running around like headless chickens because of _him_.

 

Layla logged onto her computer, opened her emails, and started working. Barely five minutes had passed when the TV blared out an emergency broadcast. Layla hid her smile and followed the curious and confused employees over to the staff tea room.

 

Wendy came out of the elevators and practically ran over to the tea room, gripping Layla's arm as she caught her breath. "Heard the broadcast in the elevator," she said when someone looked at her oddly.

 

Brian Anderson appeared on the screen, his makeup protector still around his neck. "Good evening, viewers. It seems that the Commander and Jetstream have to face not one, not two, but _three_ villains. How will our favourite superheroes fare against three evil masterminds?" he asked seriously, turning his attention to the camera feed. There was a second's delay where his makeup artist was seen to step up beside Brian Anderson to finish their job.

 

The three villains seemed utterly _pissed_ that the other two were there in their spotlight and stealing their fifteen minutes of fame. Divided between them, they'd only have _five_ minutes of fame, and that wasn't enough to cover the cost of their super-suits.

 

"Steve, _do something_ ," Josie hissed when she saw that none of the villains were willing to fight while the others were present.

 

"Okay... Surrender now, villains!" the Commander called in his most commanding voice.

 

The idea of surrendering was worse than the other two villains being present, and all three villains glared at the Commander and Jetstream. The first villain lifted his sword, the second lifted a car over her head, and the third held out her hands, though nothing seemed to happen in response to the gesture and her expression fell from fierce to worried in an instant.

 

"We'll never surrender!" Sword called, glaring.

 

" _Never_ is such a strong word. We don't know what'll happen; I might surrender," the third said, frowning down at her hands.

 

Sword turned his glare on her, then looked to the second villain. She shrugged as best as she could while still holding the car.

 

"Fine. _I'll_ never surrender!" Sword called, swinging their sword as they ran forward, Car and the third villain alongside him.

 

Sword accidentally swung at the third villain with their sword, the metal bending on impact. Sword let out an anguished cry at the sight, and the third villain stopped to apologise profusely.

 

Car managed to throw the car at Jetstream, but the Commander was still standing beside his wife (trying to work out what was going on, if the expression on his face was any indication), and he caught the car before it hit her. He threw the vehicle back towards the villains. Car and Sword were both knocked back and unconscious, the third villain skidding to the side and _just_ missing getting hit herself. On realising that she was on her own, the third villain paled and held her fists up shakily.

 

Jetstream glanced at the cameras for a fraction too long, then back to the third villain. She smiled warmly, her hands falling from her hips. "Are you sure you want to do this? This doesn't have to be how your life goes."

 

"W-what?"

 

"I'm offering you a choice: surrender and redeem yourself, or fight us and surrender later," Jetstream said.

 

"Uh, Jetstream? Dear, what's going on?" the Commander asked under his breath, the cameras still picking up his question clearly.

 

"Just a moment, dear," Jetstream said, still smiling. Returning her attention to the trembling villain, Jetstream held out a hand. "This isn't what you want. Surrender and come with us to the police," she said.

 

The third villain's jaw clenched at Jetstream's condescending tone. "Don't. Tell. Me. What. To. Do!" she yelled, running at the two superheroes.

 

The Commander met her head-on, usually the epitome of a brick wall's blunt force meeting that of a moving object. This time, however, he was knocked aside and thrown over a sale sign for Stronghold Real Estate, crash-landing in a derelict wooden house.

 

Jetstream didn't have time to check on the Commander as she had the third villain upon her, punching and hitting and screaming. Jetstream grimaced in pain, trying to grab the villain's wrists to stop her blows. As she only managed to capture one wrist, the villain continued to punch her with her free fist.

 

" _Always telling me what to do! Stop telling me what to do!_ " the third villain yelled, almost incoherent in her anger.

 

Jetstream finally caught the villain's other wrist, turning the villain around abruptly and not very gently considering the gasp of pain that came from her, clamping a pair of power repressing cuffs on the villain.

 

"I think you broke my wrist," the villain sobbed.

 

Jetstream bit back a retort about how she should have surrendered peacefully, realising that the cameras were still focused on them. "There are healers at Maxville Penitentiary; they'll look after you," she said, far too sweetly. "Commander, are you all right?" Jetstream called to her husband, who was standing up in the ruins of the wooden house.

 

 _Luckily, the investor who'd bought the house had planned on knocking it down anyway_ , Josie thought with an inward sigh of relief.

 

"Fine, dear," the Commander said, brushing the wooden chips and toothpicks off his cape.

 

"I'm glad to hear it. Would you mind picking up the other two? The police will need to process them as well."

 

"Oh. Right, of course," the Commander said, jogging over to the unconscious villains and bending to pick them both up, settling one over each of his shoulders.

 

With the fight over and the heroes leaving with the villains in custody, the cameras turned off. When she was sure that every last camera was off and no longer pointing at them, Josie handed the cuffed villain to her husband and called the police to come collect the three villains. When that was done, Josie tucked the phone away and started pacing.

 

"Uh, Josie? What's wrong?"

 

"That was an embarrassment, Steve. _Three_ villains! What if we'd lost?" Josie snapped.

 

"We didn't lose though," Steve replied.

 

"We _could have_ ," Josie said. "We agreed to not face more than two villains at a time after the Trident Triplets; they almost beat us then, and we could have lost now. It's unacceptable and embarrassing, Steve. I'm going to see the Mayor; I'll pick you up on the way home," she said, leaving before he could respond.

 

"Okay. I'll just wait here." Steve brightened up on seeing that the _Paper Lantern_ was further up the road. "Well, neither you nor Will like Chinese food, but that doesn't mean I can't have it," he murmured to himself, adjusting the villains on his shoulders and hoping the police would arrive soon.

 

The police arrived a few moments later, and shook the Commander's hand gratefully after he'd loaded the three villains into the back of their squad car. As per usual, the Commander was allowed to keep a trophy - Sword's sword, still bent for now - and the police officers talked with him for a while, obviously not realising their beloved superhero was kind of starving after his fight.

 

Steve's stomach was rumbling by the time the police realised they had a job to do and decided to leave back to their precinct. Steve came close to pushing the police car down the road just so he could get something to eat that much faster.

 

Stepping behind a tree to change into his citizen's outfit and hide the villain's sword, Steve smoothed out his shirt as he headed up to the _Paper Lantern_. In his eagerness, he forgot to put his glasses on.

 

...

 

Jetstream flew into the Council building, ignoring the surprised gasps from several people in the lobby. Flying to the stairwell, she opened the door and flew straight up to the top floor where the Mayor's office was located. 

 

Unable to calm herself long enough to walk to the Mayor's office, Jetstream continued flying straight on from the stairwell. Her fast reflexes were the only reason she stopped abruptly at the office door, someone coming out and stopping sharply as well at _her_ sudden appearance.

 

"Good afternoon, Jetstream. I saw you've had a busy afternoon. Would you like me to get the Mayor for you?" Layla asked, recovering from her surprise and stepping around Jetstream to get to her computer.

 

"No need, La- uh, Miss," Jetstream corrected, realising that no one else knew that she knew Layla. "I'm sure he's already been alerted to the fact that I'm here," she added, a little sourly.

 

"Well, that's true, but the Mayor is currently on a call. Would you like me to schedule you in?" Layla asked.

 

"Schedule..." Jetstream echoed, a thoughtful expression on her face. "That could work," she muttered to herself, then knocked on the Mayor's door firmly, ignoring Layla's feeble protest. "Mr. Mayor, it's Jetstream; we need to talk."

 

"N-no. I'm busy right now," the Mayor added quickly, even as Jetstream opened his door. "You can make an appointment with Layla; she's very good at organising things for me."

 

"You're holding the phone upside down, Hank," Jetstream muttered, stepping into the office and closing the door behind her.

 

Layla held back her laughter at Jetstream's expression and the Mayor caving so quickly. She didn't dare look over her shoulder to where Wendy was sitting in the staff area, knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep a straight face when Jetstream finally left the Mayor's office. Instead, she concentrated on her work to stay occupied and calm.

 

What felt like a minute later, Layla's vines squeezed slightly to redirect her attention. She looked up to see the Mayor's door opening and, according to her computer clock, ten minutes had passed. Jetstream walked out of the office looking much calmer than when she had entered.

 

"Yes, of course, Jetstream. I will have no trouble organising that for you at all," the Mayor said, hurrying up behind Jetstream to offer his assurances one last time.

 

"I am counting on it. See you at the next shareholder's dinner, Mr. Mayor," Jetstream said, a thinly veiled threat beneath her words and tone. Then she smiled brightly. "Have a lovely evening, everyone!" she called, waving to the employees who had stayed behind.

 

There was a smattering of awkward applause and her smile slipped. Jetstream squared her shoulders and flew out the same way she'd come, her mind now preoccupied with several thoughts: she had to pick Steve up on the way home, organise dinner, and somehow stop both Will and Steve from playing with the villain's sharp sword.

 

"Layla, a word?" the Mayor asked, though it was certainly wasn't a question.

 

"Of course, Mr. Mayor," she said, saving her work as she stood up to follow him into his office.

 

The Mayor shut the door behind her and sighed heavily, heading over to his desk chair. "I made a promise to Jetstream that I'm not sure I'll be able to commit to. I don't know how on earth I can _organise_ fights for the Commander and Jetstream to avoid a triple-attack like this evening. The work and pressure that comes with this job is exhausting, you see. It's too much to ask of me on top of all of my other responsibilities," the Mayor said, sighing again.

 

"I can do it."

 

"Do what?" the Mayor asked.

 

"Organise fights for the Commander and Jetstream. I can set up a separate email address so it won't interfere with my work as your PA. There's a way of letting the villains know to email me, isn't there?"

 

The Mayor sat back, a little surprised at the idea. He'd mostly wanted to complain about the additional task, but if Layla was willing to take it on board, then that was certainly no skin off his nose! He just... wouldn't tell Jetstream, who had made it very clear that she expected him to deal with it personally. The job was beneath him, anyway.

 

"Uh. Yes, there is. Why don't you go and organise that email address? Let me know when it's done and I'll contact the right people," he said, smiling.

 

Layla nodded and headed back to her desk. She had barely sat down before the Mayor was walking out of his office, closing and locking the door behind him.

 

"Since you've got that under control, Layla, I'll be heading off for the day. Just send me the information and I'll deal with it tomorrow morning," he said over his shoulder as he headed to the elevators.

 

"If that's the way our local government works, I'm both disappointed and depressed," Wendy muttered as she came up behind Layla, crunching her way through a packet of chips loudly. "Not surprised, for the most part," she added with a shrug, licking salt off her fingertips before eating another chip.

 

Layla grinned. "Don't ask how I got this job."

 

Wendy snorted, almost choking on the chip. "All right. How much longer are we here for anyway?"

 

Looking to the computer's clock, Layla winced. "Another hour and a half. The Mayor left later than usual."

 

"So what do you usually do around here when everyone's gone?" Wendy asked.

 

"My job. People will notice if I don't answer emails or organise the Mayor's appointments."

 

"Hmm, all right. You do that; I'm going to watch TV."

 

"You could practice," Layla replied.

 

"In here?" Wendy asked, frowning at the office space around them.

 

"Not exactly. There's a storm forecast for tonight," Layla said, nodding to the windows where dark storm clouds could be seen gathering in the distance. "Or you could do your homework?" she suggested with a grin, already knowing what Wendy would pick.

 

"Tough choice," Wendy deadpanned, rolling her eyes. She finished off the last of her chips, threw the empty packet away, and then sat by the office window to concentrate on the oncoming storm.

 

...

 

After collecting his dinner, Steve had returned to his previous spot to retrieve Sword's sword from behind the tree. He had straightened the sword with a small amount of difficulty - he wondered what the third villain's power actually was for her to have bent the metal so easily. Now that he and Josie were flying home, Steve only refrained from swinging the sword around because he was 95% certain that Josie would drop him and 5% positive that he'd drop his food.

 

"You blew your cover, Steve. And you _know_ the reason we don't have Chinese food is because you're gassy for days afterwards," Josie hissed down at her husband.

 

"I thought it was because _you_ get bloated and gas - uh, never mind," Steve said quickly. "I'll eat it in the garage so the smell doesn't bother you."

 

Josie sighed and flew down into their neighbourhood, dropping Steve by their garage door. "If you pass gas anywhere other than the bathroom in the next two days, you'll be sleeping in the sanctum," she threatened.

 

"Yes, dear."

 

...

 

"The storm looks lovely, dear. I hope you've left some in reserve?" Frieda asked Wendy as she and Layla slid into the backseat of her car.

 

"Not as much as I probably should have," Wendy admitted.

 

"A good night's rest will do you the world of good then," Frieda said with a smile, reversing out of her parking spot and heading out onto the road. "How was your night, Layla dear?"

 

"Very productive. I now have the extra job of organising fights between the Commander and Jetstream and villains."

 

"I hope you're getting a pay rise for that extra job?" Frieda asked.

 

"I didn't even think to ask about it," Layla said.

 

"Hmm. You'd best organise that sooner rather than later. Imagine the super world falling to a mess because you couldn't organise an appointment in time."

 

"That sounds like blackmail, Frieda," Wendy said, snickering.

 

"It's supposed to sound more subtle than that, but that's about the gist of it. You do still have Communication Skills up at that school, don't you?"

 

"Yes, though I doubt that's what they had in mind when creating the subject," Wendy said with a laugh.

 

"Never restrict yourselves to what others have in mind. You're both better than that," Frieda said firmly.

 

With both Layla and Wendy feeling a little stunned at Frieda's intensity, the car was silent for a moment. Overhead, thunder rolled and lightning streaked through the sky.

 

"Was that one you, dear, or just the weather?"

 

"Oh, just the weather. If I manipulate it anymore, it's going to go beyond what the weather stations predicted," Wendy said, looking up to the purplish clouds.

 

"How far beyond it?" Layla asked curiously.

 

"Well, I can't _quite_ work up a supercell yet, but I can manage a few larger cells separately. If I've got enough energy after that and I push them the right way, they should theoretically combine to create a supercell. But, yeah, it really depends on my energy levels, and I'm still not at my full strength yet," Wendy said, shrugging. "I'll get there one day."

 

"All right, here we are. Would you both like something for to eat?" Frieda asked as she pulled up into her driveway.

 

"I'm fine, thank you," Layla said, unbuckling her seatbelt and grabbing her bag.

 

"Same, thank you, Frieda," Wendy said, getting out of the car and following Layla up to the house.

 

Layla opened the front door, turning the foyer light on and waiting for Frieda to join them. "Thank you for picking us up, Frieda. Have a good night," she said, kissing her cheek before heading upstairs.

 

"Good night, Frieda," Wendy said, hugging her before following Layla upstairs.

 

"Good night, girls. Don't stay up too late," Frieda called after them, closing and locking the door behind her, heading into the lounge room to continue with her knitting.

 

As soon as the bedroom door was closed behind them, Wendy turned to Layla. "Would you tell me what you're planning with Magenta? The suspense is _killing_ me," she groaned.

 

"It's Will's birthday next month," Layla said, smiling as she detailed her plan.

 

Wendy was cackling long before Layla had finished explaining, and wiped at her tears before she responding. "You realise that Warren needs to be involved in this as well, right?"

 

"How do you mean?" Layla asked, frowning.

 

"Well, if you're going to do all of that to Magenta, you'll need someone coming in at Will's side to reinforce it all. Will considered Warren to be his best friend, right?"

 

"Yes, but that was before Warren punched him in the cafeteria."

 

Wendy waved her comment off dismissively. "Just say it's a guy thing; Will seems stupid enough to believe that. Besides, if they were best friends after one fight in the cafeteria, they can be best friends again after two."

 

"It would help things. I don't know that Ethan or Zach would be up to it, really. Will and Zach were friends before Sky High, but Zach's practically told Will to his face that he'd never forgive him, and Will would take that seriously."

 

"Let's work out the full plan first, make sure there's no kinks, then you can tell Warren about it tomorrow. He might have some ideas for Will then, too," Wendy suggested, unzipping her bag to find a notepad and pen. "What?" she said at Layla's surprised expression.

 

"Nothing. I just thought you'd use a laptop," Layla said, shrugging.

 

"I do for most things, but I didn't bring my gloves and my spare set's at home. If you _want_ me to fry your computer..." Wendy trailed off.

 

"No, thank you. The pen and paper will be fine," Layla reassured her quickly.

 

Wendy grinned and flipped to a blank page. "All right, hit me with it."

 

...

 

"Why do you two look like you could sleep all day and still wake up tired?" Craig asked, poking Wendy's bicep.

 

"Shut up. Too early," she mumbled, her hands wrapped around a travel coffee mug.

 

"Don't," Layla warned when Craig looked over to her, then sipped at her own travel mug of tea and silently hoped it was strong enough to wake her up.

 

Craig held his hands up in a gesture of peace. "I wasn't going to do anything," he said, adding the ASL gestures.

 

"You've been practising, Craig. Well done," their instructor said with a warm smile.

 

"Thanks! I've been Skyping with my friend's little sister too."

 

"Aw, you consider me a friend? I'm honoured," Zach said, hugging Craig around the shoulders.

 

"Idiot," Craig said with a laugh, pushing him away. "C'mon, let's get this thing started."

 

"Oh, I've left the worksheets behind. I'm a scatterbrain this morning! I'll be right back," their instructor said, leaving the room just as Adam and Warren arrived.

 

"Sorry we're late; I overslept and didn't get the coffee ready on time," Adam said, practically guiding Warren into the classroom.

 

"What happened to you?" Ethan asked, curious enough to risk Warren's wrath.

 

"Long shift at the _Paper Lantern_ ; didn't get home until after midnight," Warren said, yawning widely and resting his head on the desk.

 

Donny sent a quick text to Honey, who replied a moment later. With a grin, Donny reached over his desk and flicked both Layla and Warren on the ears. "Wake up!"

 

Layla winced, rubbing her ear. She sighed and then inhaled deeply, making her vines take her exhaustion. It wasn't a complete fix, and she knew that it would only increase her exhaustion later, but it would be enough to get through the class.

 

Warren muttered obscenities under his breath, rubbing his ear. Realising what Layla had done, he did the same thing, cocooning his exhaustion behind a wall of flames. The flames would lessen eventually and the exhaustion would hit him harder than it felt now, but Warren hoped he would be home and in bed by that time.

 

"Ugh, what did you two just do? I want that," Wendy groaned, her head resting in the crook of her arm as she tried to gather the will and energy to glare at them.

 

"We blocked our exhaustion temporarily with our power."

 

"How?" Wendy asked in confusion; both of their powers were external things as far as she knew, and it didn't make _sense_.

 

Donny received another text. "Breathe in."

 

"I haven't exactly _stopped_ breathing in the last five minutes, Donny," Wendy pointed out.

 

He rolled his eyes at her. "Breathe in on purpose. Use your power."

 

It sounded stupid, but Wendy figured it couldn't hurt. _Hell, if the coffee wasn't waking her up, then 'purposely breathing' might do something_. Gathering her power, Wendy felt the wind pick up, papers fluttering on the desks around her. Inhaling deeply, Wendy could feel the change in the air as she drew her power into herself, the wind dissipating and blocking her exhaustion for the moment. Exhaling carefully, Wendy blinked and licked her lips.

 

"We just did that, but internally," Layla said. "It won't last the whole day."

 

"That's fine. You'll tell me how to do it internally, right?"

 

"Sure, we can do that."

 

Wendy smiled at them, then at Donny. "Thanks."

 

He grinned, winked, and said 'you're welcome' with the ASL hand gesture.

 

"All right. Sorry about the delay. Here are your worksheets for today," their instructor announced, entering the room with a bundle of papers tucked against their chest.

 

...

 

On the bus ride to the Hive, Layla felt her vines shrinking and her exhaustion returning slowly. Beside her, Warren looked like he was being affected as well, his head dropping to his chest every now and then. Towards the middle of the bus, Wendy had already fallen asleep against Donny's shoulder.

 

"Thank you for dropping us off closer, sir," Ethan said, helping the others guide Warren, Layla, and Wendy off the bus carefully.

 

"Not a problem. If you've got any of that fresh honey, my wife 'n I'd love to try it," the bus driver said eagerly.

 

"We'll see how the bees are going," Craig replied, the driver grinning and waving in thanks before pulling back onto the road.

 

"How long do you think it'll be before he realises we're lying about the bees?" Adam asked, holding Layla carefully.

 

"However long it usually takes for bees to make honey, probably," Zach said, trying to keep Warren upright.

 

"I can melt them all down. Does anyone have a water bottle to carry them in?" Ethan asked.

 

"Wendy and Layla have travel mugs?" Donny suggested, adjusting his grip on Wendy.

 

"That should work," Ethan said with a nod, pushing his glasses up his nose.

 

Holding onto Layla and Warren's arms, Ethan melted down along with them, sliding over towards the empty travel mug that Zach put on the ground. He reformed and then did the same with Wendy, keeping them together in the same mug. Zach picked it up carefully, placing the lid on - the last thing he wanted was for their friends to lose fingers or limbs because he'd splashed them out of the travel mug.

 

"Let's just hope I can reform them all properly," Ethan said as they headed towards the Hive.

 

"Seriously? Dude, are you joking?" Craig asked, a little horrified at the thought.

 

Ethan's serious face lasted another three seconds before he grinned outright. "Don't worry, I'm joking. The worst that could happen is I reform them in each other's clothes. The molecules of their bodies are different and that's the easiest part to recognise. Clothes are far too similar, but I should be fine."

 

"Okay, your sense of humour is twisted and perverted, and normally I'm a huge fan of both of those things. But right now, I _seriously_ hate you. Don't scare me like that," Craig muttered.

 

Zach snorted and put an arm around Ethan's shoulders. "Don't worry, Eth, I still love you."

 

Ethan grinned. "I know."

 

When they reached the Hive, Ethan reformed their friends and left them sleeping in their own rooms within the lower Hive. Craig ensured that they'd all been reformed with the right number of fingers and limbs, and the correct colour hair, then followed the rest of the group to the training area.

 

...

 

"'Lo?" Warren answered his phone sleepily. He sat up straight at Mrs. Woo's response, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he answered her in Cantonese.

 

Satisfied with his answer, Mrs. Woo ended the call.

 

"Warren? What's going on?" Layla asked, reaching out for him.

 

"Ronnie's called in sick, so I have to cover his shift. It was his 21st yesterday, so I'm pretty sure 'sick' is code for hungover and/or still drunk," Warren said, rolling his eyes as he stood up to find his jeans.

 

"His shift starts at 6am?" Layla asked, frowning at the time.

 

"Uh, no. Shit," Warren groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "Sorry, hippie. I'll set my alarm, you go back to sleep."

 

"Mm-kay," she murmured sleepily, closing her eyes again.

 

Setting an alarm for eight o'clock, Warren settled back into bed, curling an arm around Layla's back. She sighed contently, pressed a gentle kiss to his throat, then fell back to sleep. Warren followed her into sleep easily enough.

 

What felt like minutes later, his alarm went off loudly, waking them both up with Layla almost head-butting Warren in the chin. He moved back abruptly to avoid being smacked, and fell off the bed instead.

 

"I'm up, geez," Warren groaned, lying on the floor for a moment and glaring up at the ceiling.

 

Layla reached over to pull him back up onto the bed. "You okay?"

 

"I'll live. It'll be a painful life though," he muttered, rubbing his back. "Did I dream that Mrs. Woo called me at 6am?"

 

Layla shook her head. "No, I remember that too. Ronnie's 21st was yesterday?"

 

"Right. Shit. I was hoping for at least half the day off," Warren muttered.

 

"I'll go organise breakfast for us while you get ready for work," Layla offered, pressing a light kiss to his lips.

 

Warren grinned and kissed Layla deeply, his hands hot on her hips as her own fingers curled into his shoulders. "Thanks, hippie."

 

Seeing that she was a little dazed by their kiss, Warren kissed her once more, then headed to the ensuite to get showered and ready.

 

Layla licked her lips, smiling. Heading down to the kitchen, Layla saw that Frieda was already downstairs and working on her knitting. "Morning, Frieda."

 

"Good morning, Layla. You look bright and chirpy for a Sunday morning."

 

"Thank you, I had a good sleep. Well, Warren's phone woke me up early, but I fell asleep again, so it was all right. Do we have any orange juice left?" she asked as she set up the coffee machine for Warren's favoured drink.

 

"On the door, dear. Is everything all right with Warren?"

 

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Mrs. Woo called him about taking Ronnie's shift since he called in sick. Apparently it was Ronnie's 21st yesterday so Warren doubts that Ronnie's sick so much as hungover," Layla said, shrugging then pouring a glass of juice.

 

"Ronnie didn't invite Warren to his party?" Frieda asked.

 

Layla stopped, her drink raised halfway to her lips. "I don't know."

 

"There's still some oats if the pantry if you'd like porridge for breakfast," Frieda offered.

 

"Oh, thank you. Would you like anything?"

 

"No, thank you, dear. I've already been up for some time. I'm hoping to get these finished in time, so I've been working on them for about an hour now."

 

"What are you knitting?" Layla asked curiously, pouring oats and milk into a pot, sprinkling it with some salt, cinnamon and brown sugar, and turning on the heat.

 

"Warren's birthday's coming up, so I'm knitting a pair of socks for him. Nina's mentioned how often his socks have holes in them, or get completely charred, so I'm trying a new type of wool that should be able to withstand his flames. Young Zach put me onto the idea when we were talking about super suit materials."

 

"When is Warren's birthday?" Layla asked, surprised to realise that she didn't know herself. She didn't remember Warren celebrating the year before and she hadn't even thought to ask him.

 

"March 23rd. I know it's only a few weeks away, but the pattern is simple enough and I should get it done in time if the wool behaves," Frieda said determinedly, continuing to knit.

 

"Could I get a lift to work, please Frieda? Mrs. Woo rang early to ask me to cover for Ronnie," Warren said as he entered the kitchen.

 

"So I heard. You didn't get invited to Ronnie's party?" Frieda asked, setting her knitting aside.

 

Warren shook his head. "We're workmates, not friends. He's an asshole anyway."

 

"Language, Warren."

 

"Sorry, Frieda."

 

Frieda looked at him for a long moment as if to determine his sincerity, then relented. "I'll get dressed and take you to work. Have something to eat, not just coffee," she added, taking his knitting basket upstairs with her.

 

"Porridge okay?" Layla asked, stirring the porridge.

 

"Sure."

 

Taking his coffee from the machine, Warren kissed Layla's cheek in thanks.

 

"I realised this morning that I don't actually know when your birthday is," Layla said, hoping she sounded casual enough that Warren wouldn't question why she was asking; she didn't want to spoil Frieda's surprise.

 

"March 23rd," Warren replied. "What about yours?" he asked as he sat at the bench.

 

"June 19th," Layla replied, turning the stove off and taking the pot off the heat, carefully spooning the porridge into two bowls. "Do you want a topping?"

 

"No, thanks. Do you know the others' birthdays?" Warren asked curiously.

 

"I know Heidi's is April 1st. Zach was saying how everyone thought his mother was joking when she tried to call them for a lift to the hospital. Zach's is May 1st, and I think Ethan's is sometime in November. I don't know about the others."

 

"I'll ask Ethan; he'll probably have a chart made up," Warren said, texting Ethan before eating a mouthful of porridge. "This is good."

 

"Thanks," Layla said with a smile.

 

"Okay, I'm ready. Shall we take the Mustang or the Rolls?" Frieda asked Warren brightly.

 

"Which one matches my shoes?" Warren asked, Layla nudging him and laughing.

 

"Neither, I'm afraid," Frieda said with a laugh. "So it looks like we're taking the Toyota."

 

"No, wait, the Mustang!"

 

Frieda shook her head. "Too late, dear. Enjoy your morning, Layla dear; I'll be at the front when you're ready, cutie," she said, kissing Layla's cheek and patting Warren's, ignoring his half-hearted scowl.

 

Layla laughed and kissed his cheek. "You'll live, cutie."

 

"No nicknames," he growled, finishing his coffee and the last of his porridge.

 

When she saw that he'd finished eating, Layla turned Warren's stool so he was facing her, and kissed him deeply.

 

"Have a nice day at work, Warren."

 

He stood and kissed her back, Layla's legs bracketing his hips. "Thanks, hippie. What're you doing today?"

 

"I've got a Mad Science test coming up; we need to create a vat of toxic waste using household chemicals, so I need to work on that. But first, I might have to masturbate and take the edge off. I don't think I'll be able to concentrate otherwise," she murmured, her cheeks red and lips swollen.

 

" _Fuck me_ ," Warren groaned, resting his forehead against hers.

 

"Only if you ask nicely," Layla quipped, laughing. "Go on, go to work. I'll text you later," she said, kissing him briefly one more time before pushing him gently towards the doorway.

 

Warren let himself be pushed and let the momentum carry him through the doorway and to the front foyer. Inhaling deeply, he let his power block the emotion, hopefully giving himself enough time to become preoccupied with work instead of his thoughts and imagination.

 

"Oh, I forgot to tell you: the Commander came by the _Paper Lantern_ the other day. After that fight with the three villains," Warren said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

 

"What did he want?" Layla asked as she rinsed off the porridge and stacked the dishwasher.

 

"Spring rolls, special fried rice, and sweet and sour pork," Warren said. "I didn't even burn it," he added over his shoulder, grinning.

 

"I'm very proud of you," Layla said, far too sweetly to be considered real.

 

Warren laughed and stepped out onto the porch to see Frieda parked patiently on the driveway, sitting in the Mustang. Hurrying down to the car, Warren grinned at Frieda as he opened the passenger door. "Thanks, Frieda."

 

"Not a problem, cutie."

 

Warren couldn't even bring himself to scowl at the nickname.

 

...

 

End of the fifty-fourth chapter.


	55. Chapter 55

Despite Principal Powers' assurance that the bus was fixed and could no longer be tampered with, most students held their breath in a mix of fear and anticipation on the flight up to Sky High on Monday morning. Some students kept glancing back, checking to see if they were leaking fuel, while others gripped onto the railing with white-knuckled hands and closed their eyes tightly.

 

Layla was feeling a little anxious herself and couldn't blame the rest of the students for their own worries. She held onto Warren's hand tightly, her stomach dropping with every bout of turbulence they experienced. Beside her, Warren was far too tired to feel anxious, and simply closed his eyes to sleep and rubbed his thumb on the back of Layla's hand every time she squeezed tightly.

 

A sigh of relief went through the students as they saw Sky High come into view, though no one truly relaxed until the bus itself had landed on the runway. Layla extracted her hand from Warren's, wincing at the marks she'd left behind.

 

"Sorry."

 

"Hmm? It's all right," Warren said, shrugging and flexing his hand briefly to ease the tightness. Taking Layla's bag, he headed down the bus aisle and stepped off, stopping short when he saw Cassie waiting.

 

Behind him, Layla glanced over Warren's shoulder to see what had caused the hold up, and tried not to laugh. She took her bag from Warren and kissed his cheek. "See you later. Good morning, Cassie," Layla said before she headed up to the school building.

 

"M-morning," Cassie called after Layla, turning pink.

 

Warren wondered if that was because of her bubblegum power or just her complexion.

 

"Hi, Warren," Cassie said shyly, following him as he headed up to the school after Layla.

 

"Cassie."

 

"Do you have a busy day today? I mean, you probably do being a junior. Do you like the work? What's your favourite class? Do you actually study in your study period?" Cassie asked, rapidly firing questions at him without waiting for a response.

 

Warren didn't bother responding since she didn't seem to need an answer, and kept walking through Sky High until he reached the freshman lockers. "Isn't this your area?" he interrupted her barrage of questions.

 

Cassie looked around, a little surprised to see that they were inside already, and nodded. "Yeah. My locker's over there," she said, pointing to the locker that had bubblegum wrappers stuck to the front.

 

"Wouldn't have guessed if you hadn't told me," Warren said flatly. "Bye."

 

"Bye, Warren!" she called out eagerly behind him, far too loud and to the wide-eyed awe of the other freshman around her.

 

Warren regretted that Layla hadn't chosen Cassie. As he passed the sophomore lockers, Warren saw Layla up ahead talking with Magenta about her weekend and the Mad Science test she'd been working on. Stopping by his girlfriend, Warren put an arm around Layla's shoulders and kissed her cheek when she stopped talking. "She's _perky_ , hippie. Don't leave me alone with her again," he muttered, just loud enough for Magenta to hear. "Morning, Magenta," Warren added, then continued to the junior's lockers.

 

"Who's perky?" Magenta asked when Layla just laughed.

 

"Cassie, the freshman. She's taken a liking to Warren after the bus fiasco last week."

 

"Blonde with pink bubblegum?" Magenta asked, only remembering who she was due to the school paper's report of the bus incident.

 

"Yeah. It's cute," Layla said.

 

"You're not worried?" Magenta asked, seeing the blonde freshman further down the hall and being reminded far too forcefully of the perky blonde reporter that Will had flirted with.

 

"What should I be worried about?"

 

"Oh, nothing, never mind," Magenta said, shaking her head. "I'd better get to homeroom. See you later, Layla," she said, ducking past to get to her classroom.

 

Her exit wasn't as smooth as Magenta had envisioned in her head, and she bumped into someone in the hallway, a cold shiver creeping up her spine. Layla was beside her in an instant, drawing her away from the crowd and back to the relative safety by her locker.

 

On Layla's wrist, she felt Warren's joy at their test working. She bit back a grin, putting on a worried expression instead. "Are you okay, Magenta? You just went pale all of a sudden; you've shivering," Layla said, trying not to sound _too_ delighted about the fact. "Here, I have a cardigan you can borrow."

 

Magenta usually wouldn't be caught dead wearing a cardigan, but she realised that her teeth were chattering and she accepted the warm material, gratefully slipping it on. "I don't know what happened. I must've moved too fast," she said, rubbing her arms. "I'll be fine now."

 

"Are you sure? You still look a little cold; I can get Warren to warm you up in a second," Layla offered with a grin.

 

"Sounds a bit too like swinging for me," Magenta said, snickering. "I'm okay. Thanks, Layla."

 

"Not a problem at all. Are you sure you're all right?" Layla added, seeing Magenta's pale complexion.

 

"Yeah, I'm sure; the cardigan's helped. I'd better get to homeroom. I might just go a little slower this time," she added with a grin.

 

"Well, take care. Text me if you need anything, okay?" Layla added as Magenta headed towards her homeroom once again.

 

Grabbing her own things for the morning, Layla went to her homeroom, smiling when she saw that a flowering tree outside the classroom had started to bloom in response to her power. As she watched it, Layla saw the flowers dropping to the ground and the leaves turning a fiery orange colour before dying completely, and she knew that Warren had affected the tree as well.

 

"Miss Williams, your attention, please," Mr. Medulla said.

 

"Yes, Mr. Medulla," Layla said, looking away.

 

Outside, the tree grew green and bright once more.

 

...

 

Will stopped short on seeing his girlfriend wearing his ex-girlfriend's clothes. Well, her cardigan, but it was enough to make him feel very confused and he didn't like that feeling at all. Sitting across from Magenta, Will took a moment to poke the straw through his juice box - carefully, this time, he _hated_ being covered in sticky juice - and drank some before nodding to the cardigan. "Is that new?" he asked, knowing very well that it wasn't.

 

"Oh, no. I was really cold this morning, and Layla let me borrow it. I'm kind of liking it, don't tell anyone," Magenta said with a laugh.

 

"Oh, it's Layla's?" Will asked, a little high pitched and coughing, thumping his chest - again, carefully. His father had warned him about broken ribs and cracked sternums.

 

"Yes. Is that weird?" Magenta asked, feeling hesitant.

 

Will poked at his food and shrugged. "A little. But, I mean, if you're still cold..."

 

"No, I'm not. I guess I should return it anyway," Magenta said, worrying at her lip.

 

"Yeah, probably. She might need it back," Will agreed, prompting her to stand up and shrug the cardigan off.

 

Across the cafeteria, Wendy sat next to Layla. "How's your morning been so far?"

 

"Not bad. I think Cassie's _this_ close to drooling," Layla said, spearing baby spinach leaves and a cherry tomato on her fork. "Maybe I should get Warren to smile in her direction."

 

"Do you really want to deal with a fainting freshman?" Wendy asked, investigating the contents of her sandwich with a frown. "I think I might start getting salad for lunch; this is ridiculous."

 

"Is that piece of chicken meant to be _wet?_ " Layla asked, wincing.

 

"No, it's really not. Warren, can you toast my sandwich so I don't get food poisoning?" Wendy asked.

 

"Hand it over," Warren said, wishing he'd thought of it himself for his own lunch.

 

"How much are you charging for the sandwich toasting?" Craig asked as he sat down with Adam.

 

"Dude, you've got tater tots."

 

"I could get a sandwich tomorrow if there's the option to have it toasted," Craig said, dunking four tater tots in sauce and shoving them in his mouth.

 

Adam rolled his eyes at his best friend and swapped their bottles of juice.

 

Warren ignored them and separated Wendy's sandwich with his unused knife and fork, then clicked his hand into a flame. Changing the heat slightly, Warren kept the flames at a steady temperature, heating the chicken until it looked properly cooked, then toasting the two slices of bread as well. "There's not much I can do about the salad," he said, handing the deconstructed sandwich back to Wendy.

 

"Oh, I can do that," Layla said with a grin.

 

In an instant, the greenish tomato slices ripened, the lettuce no longer looked shrivelled, and the shredded carrot turned that little bit brighter.

 

"That looks good. Can you fix my sandwich up too, Lay?" Zach asked, grinning with a mouthful of said sandwich in his mouth.

 

"You have an egg sandwich, Zach."

 

"Egg _salad_ sandwich," he corrected.

 

"There's a piece of lettuce in your sandwich and it's fine."

 

"It's fine, but it could be better," Zach said, indicating with the sandwich and a bit of egg falling down on his tray with a wet _splat_.

 

Layla rolled her eyes. Beside her, Warren was toasting the remainder of his lunch and she fixed his salad as well.

 

"You two can open up a sandwich shop; all we need now is someone who can make sauces and salad dressings," Craig said, then frowned as he thought of a super-powered person _making_ sauces and dressings. "Ew, wait."

 

Donny choked on one of his fries at the mental image. "Please _stop_ thinking about that. Elephants, dear god, think about elephants."

 

Zach almost choked on his sandwich trying not to laugh. Beside him, Ethan whacked him on the back a few times and offered Zach his bottle of water.

 

"Don't die on me over an egg salad sandwich," Ethan muttered, watching carefully to make sure his boyfriend would be okay.

 

"Too young... to die," Zach said between wheezing breaths.

 

"Hey Layla," Magenta said. "Are you okay, Zach?" she asked, seeing how red he'd turned.

 

"Fine," he gasped, waving off her concern.

 

"Right... Uh, thanks for lending me your cardigan this morning, Layla; it was really nice and warm," Magenta said, handing Layla's cardigan back to her.

 

Layla smiled. "My mother got the wool from a sheep she treated. I mean, she didn't make the cardigan herself, but she had one of her clients do it for her."

 

"She was a veterinarian; what sort of client made it?" Craig asked, frowning.

 

"The human kind, dork," Adam said, nudging him in the ribs.

 

Magenta seemed amused at Craig's question. "Well, thanks again, Layla. Enjoy your lunch. Mine looks depressing."

 

"What'd you get?" Craig asked curiously, craning his neck to try to see over Zach's head.

 

"The lasagne," Magenta said, her nose wrinkling.

 

Warren looked green at the thought. "If you bring it over, I'll cook it through properly for you. Or would you prefer food poisoning?" he added, a little viciously when Magenta seemed unsure.

 

"Uh. Okay. Thanks," Magenta said, leaving to get her lunch and returning, both Larry and Will frowning after her.

 

Warren heated it in a matter of seconds, melting the cheese and cooking the pasta sheets fully. "There, done. Don't burn yourself," he said, handing the tray back to her.

 

"Thanks, Warren," Magenta said, still a little stunned by the fact that Warren had _helped_ her.

 

Layla grinned as Magenta walked off, pressing a kiss to Warren's shoulder. "Lovely work."

 

Warren snorted and rolled his eyes. "If I'm going to be a hero, I'd better start off sooner rather than later."

 

"It was weird seeing you being _nice_. And seriously, you should start charging before students start using your services for free," Craig said, shaking his head.

 

"Hmm, what do you think, hippie? Too villainous if I charge students?"

 

Layla thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "Morally grey, but I wouldn't expect anything less. Doing it for free is a bit too vanilla."

 

"I'll charge a dollar per meal; tell people so I don't have to," Warren said, finishing the last bite of his now-toasted sandwich.

 

...

 

Layla inhaled, feeling slightly nervous. Her vines squeezed inside of her, as though reminding Layla that they could take her nerves. She smiled, but didn't let them do that. Feeling nervous, showing her nerves, felt more like a _human_ response and Layla knew the Mayor would respond to that more than a cold-feeling super.

 

Knocking on the Mayor's door, Layla waited until he'd called her in, opening it and stepping inside.

 

"Layla, what can I do for you?" he asked, hardly glancing up from a new skyscraper contract he was reading over.

 

"I've come to discuss a pay rise, Mr. Mayor," she said.

 

The Mayor blinked at her frank admission, and finally looked up. "A pay rise?"

 

"Yes, sir. While this extra task of creating appointments for the Commander and Jetstream shouldn't affect my job as your PA, I am technically doing another person's job."

 

He couldn't entirely disagree with that statement - the Mayor had already seen the email inbox that had been set up and had felt extremely relieved that he wasn't the one dealing with _that_ mess. Of course, that didn't mean he'd tell Layla _that_ quite so readily. "And you believe that is deserving of a pay rise?"

 

"Yes, sir. It's a long-term commitment, and requires someone who knows the super world - as well as the Commander and Jetstream - as well as I do."

 

The Mayor felt as though there was a threat in that, though he couldn't be entirely sure, and thought that perhaps he was projecting his own guilt onto Layla's words. He hadn't exactly _told_ Jetstream that he wouldn't be personally handling the organisation of her future fights, as she had expected after their conversation the previous week. The Mayor didn't want to lose Jetstream and the Commander's support when he needed them to help smooth over any citizen outcry over a new skyscraper (or three) that would soon be dotting Maxville's skyline.

 

"I've looked at the figures, and a pay rise of forty percent would still save you almost fifty-thousand dollars a year," Layla added, presenting a piece of paper with her figures.

 

"Forty percent?! That's not going to happen. Ten percent," the Mayor countered.

 

Imperceptibly, Layla relaxed. The Mayor hadn't rejected her offer completely, which meant she would be getting a pay rise one way or another. "Ten percent is the equivalent of doing this role one day a week, sir, and villains won't restrict themselves to a single day. Thirty-five percent would equal six days a week."

 

The Mayor looked at the piece of paper this time and saw that Layla had included the pay rise figures for the days worked per week. "You can organise it three days a week; twenty percent."

 

"The Commander and Jetstream would disagree; there was a week last year where they fought against a villain a day," Layla pointed out, then went to her lowest offer, "Five days a week equivalent; thirty percent."

 

With her final offer presented, Layla stayed silent. The Mayor did as well, and while she felt like fidgeting at the growing silence, Layla didn't move or say a word. Two minutes later, just when she was about to break her silence, the Mayor sighed heavily.

 

"Thirty percent. Get the paperwork ready and I'll - " he stopped abruptly when Layla wrote down the agreed figure and handed him a piece of paper, the pay increase form ready and awaiting his signature. "Right. Well, then," the Mayor muttered, coughing and a little annoyed.

 

 _Damn it_. He'd hoped that he might be able to pile work on Layla until she forgot about the whole thing all together. Signing the form with a flourish, the Mayor handed the paper back to her with no small amount of reluctance.

 

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Don't forget you have dinner with your wife at the _Glass Mirror_ this evening. I took the liberty of organising a flower delivery for her this afternoon. Miscellaneous expense," Layla added.

 

"Ah, excellent. Thank you for the reminder, Layla," the Mayor said, having forgotten the reservation himself. The flowers would also smooth over his absence on the weekend when he'd spent time with one of his mistresses, even though Layla didn't know that tidbit. Neither did his wife, of course.

 

"The reservation's for seven o'clock," Layla said, nodding to the clock on the wall which stated it was bordering on six o'clock. "Would you like me to set an alarm for another fifteen minutes, or would you like to leave early in case of traffic?" she offered.

 

Glancing at the contract on his desk - one that he'd been read since five o'clock and still hadn't made it halfway through - the Mayor recognised an out when he was given one. He closed the manilla folder abruptly and stood up, fixing his tie and slipping on his jacket. "Well, I'd better be off. Traffic being what it is, of course," he added.

 

"Of course, sir," Layla said with a slight smile, leaving his office with the Mayor on her heels. "I might take this down to Finance before Wednesday's pay cut-off," she said, the Mayor keeping beside her as they headed to the elevators.

 

"Keep your pay rise between us, would you, Layla? There's not enough money for everyone to get a pay rise, of course, and if the others heard you had one, I'd be lynched. Everyone would want one, then," the Mayor said as they headed to the ground floor.

 

After looking at the finances for herself, Layla knew that was a lie; the Council had had a sizeable profit in the last financial year due to their tax increases, and they had an even bigger sinking fund that would support pay rises for every Council employee three times over.

 

"Of course, Mr. Mayor. Enjoy your night," Layla said as the Mayor left the elevator and the foyer.

 

Waving to Dave, Layla headed to Finance to hand in her newly-signed form.

 

...

 

"How'd you go with the Mayor?" Warren asked when they were on the bus to the Hive.

 

Layla smiled. "Good; he agreed to a thirty percent pay rise for five days a week."

 

"Thirty? I thought you'd only planned on twenty for five days?"

 

"I might have modified the figures slightly," she said, eyes bright as she grinned at him.

 

Warren laughed and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Sneaky, hippie."

 

"Thank you," Layla quipped, pressing the bus' button for the upcoming stop.

 

The driver was a different person to the weekend driver they were getting to know, so didn't stop closer to the Hive. Still, Layla and Warren called out their thanks as they stepped off the bus, waiting until the tail lights had disappeared before walking down the road to the Hive.

 

Layla stopped at the tree line of the forest, frowning. "Someone's been here."

 

Warren's fists lit up. "Who?"

 

"Well, whoever it is, they don't seem to be here to hurt us. They wouldn't have made it through the forest otherwise," Layla pointed out.

 

That didn't appease Warren completely, though his flames lessened. "Where are they?"

 

"Out past Eden," Layla said.

 

She took Warren's hand, ignoring the flames licking against her skin, and guided him Warren around the Hive to the back garden and down the small path where lights were set up.

 

"Honey? What are you doing here?" Warren asked incredulously, seeing the woman setting up a waist-high white rectangle box amongst another five boxes already set up.

 

"You're earlier than I expected," Honey admitted, running a hand through her messy hair.

 

"Are those bee hives?" Layla asked, stepping forward as she heard the soft hum of sleeping bees, her hand resting on the closest box gently.

 

Honey nodded. "I thought you might like to start selling honey. There's a, uh, where is it?" she murmured, patting her pockets. "Ah, there," Honey said, reaching down to a fallen pamphlet by her feet. "There's a two-day beekeeping course in two weeks' time; it's before your shifts at the _Paper Lantern_ , Warren, and Mum should be able to take and pick you up if you ask tonight," she added, holding the pamphlet out to them.

 

Warren let the flames disappear from his hands before taking the pamphlet, his curiosity overtaking his lingering annoyance at Honey's sabotage of the bus. The low lights that Honey had set up provided enough light to read the pamphlet and Layla moved beside him to read it as well.

 

As they read, Honey paced back and forth. "Okay, I can't handle the suspense anymore. Do you forgive me?" she asked when they'd finished reading, wringing her hands.

 

Layla seemed surprised by her question. "We forgave you a week ago, Honey."

 

Honey blinked a few times. "You didn't tell _me_ that."

 

Warren snorted a laugh. "Consider us even for you almost killing us, then."

 

Opening and closing her mouth a few times, Honey sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "All right, that works for me."

 

Ari ran up, barking eagerly and covered in fresh dirt with some of Layla's flowers scattered on his fur coat. Layla sighed, looking back towards Eden and trying to see the damage.

 

"I just bathed you yesterday," Honey groaned, though Ari simply looked pleased at his contribution to the large garden.

 

"I'll fix it up, hippie," Warren said, both of them heading to Eden to see what needed to be done.

 

Layla lit her hands carefully so Warren could see, both of them wincing at the large hole Ari had dug. Warren thought about the flower he wanted to create. So far he'd mostly made vines and brightened a few flowers here and there, but nothing that would grow and last. When he had the flower pictured in his mind, Warren imagined a seed in the ground, starting to grow and sprout through the earth, the petiole green and strong. He watched as his thoughts came to life, a blue hydrangea blossoming despite the late hour. Letting his power's hold fade slowly, Warren knew that the roots had taken hold in the earth and the hydrangea would continue to grow without his help. The hydrangea leaned towards him when he reached out carefully, feeling awed at the life he'd created.

 

"It's beautiful, Warren," Layla said, kissing him.

 

Honey's cough drew them apart, and she looked guilty as she held Ari in her arms. "Sorry about that; Ari's still learning not to dig up everything in sight. I'm happy to drive you both back to Mum's, if you'd like?"

 

As Layla and Warren had only come out to the Hive to practice with their powers - which they'd technically done, despite the short duration - they nodded in agreement. Honey smiled and headed to where she'd parked the minivan behind a cluster of trees, away from the sight of the main road.

 

"You might want to consider a parking area; this will get difficult after it's been raining," Honey said.

 

"I'd prefer not to have car fumes near the Hive," Layla replied.

 

"The parking area doesn't have to be right next to it. The paddock next to the Hive is going up for sale soon, and you can use a combination of trees and plants to both muffle any noise and reduce the carbon emissions. A path through to the Hive would make for a pleasant walk. For most people, at least," she added.

 

"We're not putting concrete down," Layla said firmly.

 

"There's a type of gravel that's wheelchair-accessible, and it won't affect the plants."

 

"We'd need Council permission to create a parking lot, won't we?" Warren asked.

 

"Yes, most likely. It can be done at the same time you register the Hive as a business."

 

"How much honey do you expect us to sell?" Warren asked incredulously.

 

"More than you'd expect," Honey replied with a shrug, then looked in the rear view mirror. "Your blue hydrangeas are going to be a hit, Warren."

 

"Really?" Warren asked, surprised and pleased at the idea.

 

Layla smiled at him, taking his hand and squeezing. "I'm buying the first one."

 

Warren lifted her hand to press a warm kiss to her knuckles. "Thanks, hippie."

 

...

 

"All right. Thanks to everyone for handing your work in, it's been enlightening to discover what you know. Some of you need to catch up quickly. I've written it on your feedback sheets; if you have a problem, please see me after class," Jared said, handing back their English overviews and heading back to the front of the class. "Now, we have to study at least one autobiography or biography, and the school curriculum states it must be written by or about a superhero or super-villain. Does anyone have any ideas?"

 

"Jetstream."

 

"The Commander."

 

"Both very good choices, but their biographies are already best-sellers and I'd say you could all quote them off by heart. In the interest of learning something new, does anyone else have a different suggestion?" Jared asked.

 

He'd asked the same question of every English for Heroes class so far and the silence had been overwhelming, as well as a little depressing. He himself knew that there were more supers in the world than just Jetstream or the Commander, and the students' lack of response had Jared wondering if the students had any idea of the superheroes beyond Maxville. Upon graduation, the students would find out very quickly that they wouldn't get any work - or fame - while the Commander and Jetstream worked in Maxville, so they needed to think beyond the metropolis' borders.

 

"All-American Boy?" someone offered weakly.

 

Jared shook his head and tried not to seem _too_ disappointed. With a bit of a flourish, Jared tugged on the string hanging in front of his whiteboard. A world map came into view, covered in _hundreds_ of post-it notes and stars. "The post-it notes are the names of the most well-known supers in those countries, both heroes and villains. The ones with stars have either written their own autobiography or have had a biography written about them. Come up, have a look, and take your time. Yes, I encourage you to look at these supers' names on your phones, so bring them up as well," he said, smiling warmly when the students looked to each other in confusion.

 

Sure, they knew about their own parents if they were a second-generation super, but they'd seen the news reports, the comic strips, the interviews and exposé's of Jetstream and the Commander defeating villains all over the world. They'd defeated the octopus-shapeshifter in France, the Trident Triplets in Greece, and the Ninety Ninjas in Japan. Jetstream and the Commander _won_ where others failed.

 

Jared could have told them that Jetstream and the Commander tended to take over any other supers when they were in the area, flying ahead to defeat the villains and leaving that country's superhero in the dirt if it suited them. It had taken years for _Chatte_ in France, _Gátaki_ in Greece, and _Koneko_ in Japan to win back their public's trust, respect, and admiration. _Gattino_ still hadn't recovered from the last time Jetstream went to Rome to "pick up pizza for dinner" and _just so_ _happened_ to defeat a villain while she was there.

 

The students approached the board hesitantly, but within minutes, some were searching on their phones with frowns, others talking to each other about half-remembered news clips.

 

 _They'd seen Koneko helping citizens after a tsunami in Japan_.

 

_Chatte had stopped that truck from falling from a bridge in France, hadn't he?_

 

_Wasn't Gátaki helping Greece's tourism with scheduled fights between her and the local villains?_

 

"Mr. Bowie? Who's Babel?" one student asked, seeing the bright red post-it with Babel's name written on it.

 

While the other post-its were yellow, Jared had purposely written his mother's name on a different coloured one to encourage students to question it. So far, they all had.

 

"She's my mother," Jared replied, smiling. "Babel's currently the longest serving super Ambassador to the UN, though she plans to retire in the next few years. Has anyone thought of their career beyond fighting - or doing - crime?" he asked the class in general.

 

A few people shifted uncomfortably at the question, reminded far too forcibly of Hourglass' recent talk at assembly. _They had_ ** _superpowers_** _, they didn't really have a choice beyond crime fighting or doing, did they?_

 

"What does the super Ambassador for the UN do?" someone asked, hoping to redirect the conversation from questions none of them could answer yet, and genuinely curious about his response.

 

"Babel represents all of the supers across the world in the United Nations. So when the citizens from other countries create a global peace treaty, Babel weighs in on how supers may or may not be able to help. The recent Global Warming Treaty - did anyone hear about it in the news? No? The Global Warming Treaty is basically a document that all countries have to sign to agree to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses they emit by the year 2020. It's a way to save the planet, animals, people, and trees from dying."

 

"How does it stop _people_ from dying?"

 

"People usually plant trees in order to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they produce, and that means there's more oxygen to breathe. Of course, it can also change the way food is produced or sourced, as both animals and plants can create a lot of emissions as well. But that's a discussion for another day," Jared added, not wanting to get completely off-topic. "Now, the treaty that was proposed by the UN had some additions for supers: those with earth-like supers would be required to mine coal and add to the re-forestation so that citizens wouldn't have to do these tasks; electricity-inclined and weather-supers would be required to generate a certain amount of electricity for power grids and wind turbines. A few governments even put in their own amendments to have any supers who could control, create, or affect oil to be tagged and registered for government use."

 

"What?!"

 

"They can't do that!"

 

"We can't do that!"

 

Jared held up a hand at the burst of outrage from several students, waiting until they'd settled before continuing. "That is why the super Ambassador represents every super in the UN: to make sure we're not blindly shoved into something we can't commit to. Everyone in the super world knows that there's only thirty weather-supers across the US - there's maybe seventy world-wide, and they wouldn't be able to handle the enormity of that task without hurting themselves and potentially others. The UN - most citizens, in fact - don't see it that way, as most of them believe that superpowers are limitless things that we can control perfectly 100% of the time.

 

"Now, Babel refused to those terms, additions, and amendments. She proposed changes and alternatives until there was something that was agreeable to both the citizens and herself as Ambassador. Trust me: one super going against one-hundred and ninety-three citizens is much tougher than it sounds."

 

"Babel's the _only_ super Ambassador?"

 

Jared nodded. "Yes. Babel has been petitioning for years to have super Ambassador representatives from each country, as it is with the UN citizens, but there hasn't been the support for such a cause before."

 

There was a long moment of silence.

 

"How does Babel get the support?"

 

"Is it something we can support?"

 

"We can do something about that, right? I've got friends overseas who'd love that sort of job."

 

Jared grinned and pulled the map down from the screen carefully, revealing a website, several phone numbers and email addresses, and a list of people they could harass (ahem, _contact_ ) on social media to voice their protests. Beneath that was a link to the Global Warming Treaty itself so they could read the agreement and exactly what Babel had done for them.

 

"Now, whose autobiography or biography would you like to read?" Jared asked.

 

This time, there were no shortage of answers. 

 

...

 

End of the fifty-fifth chapter.


	56. Chapter 56

Nina talked to herself quietly, trying to work out her nerves as she paced. She wrung her hands together, shaking them out when she caught herself, then starting all over again a few seconds later.

 

"Mum? Are you all right?" Warren asked, setting his school bag down when he saw his mother pacing and muttering to herself.

 

Nina stopped short at his unexpected appearance, her hand pressed to her chest. "Super Jesus, Warren! You scared me!"

 

"Sorry. What's wrong?" he asked.

 

Nina sighed and started to pace again. "There's something I haven't told you about your father."

 

Her admission was completely unexpected and Warren went still at her words. "What about him?" he asked, his tone and words careful as he tried not to snap at his mother in mis-directed anger.

 

"When he was on trial, Barron didn't say a word. He was put on the stand, asked a million and one questions by both his lawyer and the Commander and Jetstream's lawyer, as well as the city's lawyer, but he didn't say a thing. As a result, he was found to be guilty and imprisoned. When that happened, Barron started talking again. Well, shouting, really."

 

"Okay?" Warren said in confusion, unsure how this related to _anything_.

 

Nina rubbed her temples and gestured to the lounge in front of her. "Could you sit down for a moment? I'm not saying this right, and I just... I need to say it _right_ ," she said.

 

Warren sat on the lounge, still confused, but mostly concerned about his mother. Since Nina had gone to get drunk at Frieda's, she'd been distant to everyone. It was as though she was thinking about something so constantly that she didn't have the ability to stay in the present for more than a few seconds at a time. She ate, drank, slept, and worked on autopilot, her mind caught up in whatever she was thinking about.

 

Warren had been concerned, but Frieda had promised that Nina was all right and trying to work through something, while Honey had said that Nina she just needed more time. He didn't know what she needed time for, nor what she was 'working through', but Warren had tried to give it to her the best he could, working as late as possible six nights a week at the _Paper Lantern_. He mostly came home to ensure that his mother had eaten and slept in her quasi-zombie state. She had eaten whatever he'd put in front of her, not even noticing that some of the fruit and vegetables weren't in season and Layla wasn't around.

 

"I heard you when you were talking with Layla the other day. About unjust systems, Jetstream and the Commander, all of that," Nina said, forcing herself to not wring her hands again.

 

"Oh." Warren was silent for a long moment - that conversation had been almost two weeks ago now, which showed just how out of it his mother had been - and then looked up at her. "You're comparing me to him?"

 

For a moment, all Nina could see was her baby boy, so angry and upset when yet another of his friends found out about his father being incarcerated and leaving him in the dirt, sometimes bloodied and bleeding. She cupped his cheeks, his skin hot against her fingers, and kissed his forehead, just as she had when he was six years old and crying because no one came to his birthday party.

 

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm fucking this all up. Words are hard," she added with a laugh, wet with tears and a lump in her throat.

 

"Mum, just... try. Please. You're freaking me out," Warren said, clutching at her hand and his eyes full of tears.

 

"Okay. Just bear with me, okay?" Nina said, her voice trembling as she tried to remember how to breathe. "When your father was found guilty by the jury, he said some things that were... practically what you said: the system was unjust, the jury was biased towards the Commander and Jetstream, and one day, they would fail and the world would fall to pieces as a result."

 

Warren froze, feeling like his power had snuffed out and his blood had turned to ice. The last two weeks suddenly made so much sense. "Mum... I... I didn't know. I swear, I didn't. I promise, I'm _not_ like him. I'm not him; we're not going to end up like he did."

 

Nina looked up to the ceiling, tears falling down her cheeks with her motion. "I know, baby. You... you couldn't have known what he said. It was never in the court transcriptions, and I never told you. If Barron had told you in your yearly visits, well... You never mentioned it when we talked afterwards," she said, brushing his hair back from his face and seeing how upset he was, sniffling herself. "I still love you, you know that, right?"

 

Warren didn't look like he _did_ know that, and Nina wished she was better at this sort of thing. She'd always tried to be open and welcoming, but even Nina knew that it was easier to control people's emotions than actually talk about them.

 

"When I heard you saying those things, I... I admit, I did think of Barron. It was a shock and a surprise, and I hadn't expected it. I thought... I thought I might've done something wrong, driven you away, or it was my fault somehow."

 

"No, you didn't. It wasn't your fault, Mum. It's my choice, my decision," Warren said firmly.

 

"I know that, baby. It's taken a while, but I do know that. You're not your father, you're not me, you're _you_ and I recognise and love you for that," Nina promised firmly. "I may not be happy with this choice you've made, but I... _shit_ , I can try to understand how and why you came to that decision, if you're willing to explain it to me."

 

Warren nodded. "I'll try. You're... you're not going to throw me out, or turn me into the Super Bureau?" he asked hesitantly.

 

"Why would I do that?"

 

He shrugged. "Seems like the thing parents do when their kids aren't good or meet their expectations, no matter how unrealistic they are in the first place."

 

Nina shook her head. "My parents threw me out when I decided to marry Barron; I wouldn't throw you out for doing something I wouldn't agree with. You're my baby, no matter how old you get, and I'll love you no matter what, okay?"

 

"Love you too, Mum."

 

"Good. Now, I'm an emotional mess right now, and you hardly feel any better," Nina said, stroking his hair gently. "So why don't we put the explanation on hold until Saturday? Gives us both time to emotionally prepare for more talking," she said with a teasing smile.

 

"All right. Thanks, Mum," Warren said, standing and pulling her into a warm hug.

 

Nina hugged him back tightly - just as tight as she'd hugged Barron before the Commander and Jetstream found them and had dragged her husband away in power-repressing cuffs - then pulled away with a smile and sniffle. "Get some sleep, okay? Don't forget to brush your teeth."

 

"You too," Warren said, kissing her cheek before leaving the lounge room.

 

Nina sighed, running a hand through her hair and hoping she'd done the right thing.

 

...

 

"Ready?" Layla asked Warren, smiling as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

 

"Born ready, hippie."

 

"Good. Try not to destroy a wall this time," she teased.

 

"I make no promises," he said with a grin, kissing her once more before leaving their table in the cafeteria to go to where Will and Magenta were sitting with Larry, Ben, and Lisa. "Stronghold, can I talk to you?"

 

Will stared, his jaw hanging open. Warren's words seemed to filter through, and he closed his mouth with an audible click. "Uh... Yes."

 

"In private?" Warren added.

 

"Oh. Right. What about lunch?" Will said, looking to his tray.

 

"It won't take that long," he replied, rolling his eyes.

 

"Why can't you say it in front of all of us?" Ben asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

"Yeah, Peace, what do you have to say to Will that you can't say to all of us?" Larry echoed, brave while surrounded by his friends.

 

"Uh, they've kinda got a point," Will said, shrugging.

 

Warren had to remind himself of Layla's plan once more so he wouldn't set them all on fire. "I wanted to apologise for starting that fight with you. Sorry," he said, hoping he sounded sincere rather than teeth-gritting.

 

"Oh," Will said in surprise, his eyes darting around the table to his friends who were in similar states of shock. "I... accept your apology?"

 

"Great. Thanks, Stronghold," Warren said, turning and leaving before he did something stupid like throw Will through the cafeteria and off the school grounds.

 

 _It wasn't worth it; he could fly_ , Warren told himself, sitting beside Layla.

 

"How'd you go?" Layla asked, popping a cherry tomato in her mouth.

 

"I apologised, he accepted, I didn't set anyone on fire," Warren said, shrugging.

 

"They're all talking about it now," Donny said. "Lisa and Ben are suspicious, but Magenta will probably bring him around. Also, I regret you offering to toast people's food," he muttered, as the fifth student in the last ten minutes approached with their lunch and a dollar in hand.

 

Warren collected the dollar, shoved it in his pocket, and toasted their lunch until it was cooked through and the cheese was browned. The student thanked him brightly, grabbing their tray and leaving, eager to eat.

 

"I disagree," Ethan said, grinning. "If Warren continues at this rate of five students every ten minutes for the hour lunch break, he'll be working at thirty dollars per hour, which is one-hundred and fifty dollars per school week. Minimum wage is only seven dollars twenty-five an hour, which is thirty-six dollars and twenty-five cents for the same amount of work."

 

"What's that mean in English, popsicle?" Craig asked around a mouthful of his own toasted sandwich.

 

"It means Warren is making money at four-hundred and fourteen percent **more** than minimum wage."

 

"Four-hundred? Are you shitting me?" Adam asked, switching to his calculator on his phone. "Fucking hell, man. No one's gonna pay me to spit in their lunch."

 

Craig snorted a laugh and almost choked on his food.

 

"How much would people pay me to read their minds?" Donny mused.

 

"Their own? Not much," Zach said, then grinned broadly. "But other people's? _That's_ how to get business."

 

"That's an invasion of privacy," Wendy said.

 

Zach shrugged. "I'm the ideas man, not the ' _work out everything after the idea_ ' man."

 

"Obviously," Wendy said, rolling her eyes.

 

"What if you offer to find out if people's crushes like them? Someone mentions their name, you get a specific thought about that person."

 

"Still an invasion of privacy, Craig."

 

"He's a mind reader!"

 

"Someone's coming," Donny muttered, causing both of them to go quiet.

 

Another student approached with a dollar and their lunch. Warren finished his mouthful and lit his hand up.

 

"Swap puddings, Wendy?" Adam asked, holding out his vanilla one.

 

Wendy considered it for a moment, then shrugged. "Yeah, all right. Why don't you just get the one you like?" she asked, handing over her chocolate pudding.

 

"Faster to get whatever's at the front," Adam said, already peeling the lid off.

 

"What if we all get the same flavour and you don't like it?" Ethan asked curiously.

 

"Then someone else gets two puddings."

 

"What's your favourite flavour?" Zach asked, taking a large bite of his sandwich.

 

"Chocolate; it's the one you keep swapping for, right?" Craig asked Adam, who nodded, his mouth full.

 

Warren handed the student's lunch back to them, the student thanking him gratefully.

 

"Are you getting tired?" Layla asked, finishing the last of her salad and sipping at her water.

 

"It's not much power, it's mostly concentration so I don't burn the food. Also, I'm fucking hungry," Warren said, half of his food still on his tray.

 

"Someone else is coming, you'd better eat fast," Donny said.

 

Warren managed another three bites.

 

"Maybe we should limit it to fifteen people so you actually have time to eat?" Ethan suggested.

 

"I don't think it's fair to limit the amount of people. Time limits, however, are usually more acceptable to people," Donny added.

 

"How about the first twenty minutes of lunch and the last ten for the overlapping group? It isn't the four-hundred percent, but you'd at least get time to eat," Layla said.

 

Another three students lined up and waited while Warren finished the first student's lunch. He finished about five minutes later, shaking out his smoking hand before picking up his fork to eat. "Fine by me. The next person can wait 'til I'm finished," he said around a mouthful.

 

"You'll get indigestion if you keep eating at that rate. We've got Save the Citizen practice after lunch," Wendy reminded him.

 

Warren sighed heavily at the reminder, but slowed his pace anyway. "Adam, can Layla and I get encrypted file documents? Or whatever they need to be secure?"

 

"Uh, sure. When do you need them by?" Adam asked.

 

"What are they for?" Donny asked, curious when Warren purposely didn't think about the reason.

 

"You'll find out later," Layla said, then smiled at an upcoming student. "Would you like Warren to heat your lunch, Robin?"

 

"Yes, please," they replied. "I didn't realise it was a dollar though, so I've only got spare change. I can bring the rest in tomorrow!" they promised, showing Layla a handful of coins.

 

"Ethan'll be handling that. Can you follow up with Robin tomorrow?" Warren asked him.

 

"No problem. I'll need a new notebook. I'll be right back," Ethan said, rushing from the cafeteria as fast as he could while not technically running.

 

"Thanks, Warren," Robin said with a smile.

 

He finished another mouthful of food, nodded, and lit his hand up. "How hot do you like your food?"

 

"Not too hot; I've got an assignment to finish, so I want to shovel it in and get to work," Robin said, their smile fading.

 

"What assignment are you doing?" Layla asked.

 

"Two-page report on the Spinner Sisters; Media for Heroes," Robin added.

 

"I remember doing that in my freshman year. Don't forget to mention the bug spray company's advertising and marketing _after_ the Spinner Sisters were captured; that's just as important as the news reports," Wendy added.

 

"Oh, I didn't even think of that; thank you!" Robin said. They thanked Warren for heating their food and left their coins on the table for when Ethan returned, hurrying off to eat so they could continue with their assignment.

 

"That was very nice of you, Wendy. Are you feeling all right?" Zach asked, grinning at her.

 

"I thought that's what we were doing? Nice but evil?" she added, looking to Layla and Warren. "Right?"

 

"Exactly. Helping with assignments would only be beneficial if we did well."

 

"That's me out," Zach said.

 

"Me too. Until next year," Craig said with a shrug.

 

"Sorry, I had trouble finding a notebook I hadn't written in already," Ethan said, returning to the table with a notebook, ruler, and pen in hand. "What did I miss?" he asked, opening to a new page and creating careful columns: date, name, amount paid, amount owed, paid.

 

"Discussing helping students to help our image. What d'you need the date for?" Zach asked, sucking through his straw noisily.

 

"It's easier to keep track of when people have or haven't paid. If someone tries to use Warren's services every day, but doesn't pay, then there's evidence of when and how much they own. Helping students how?" Ethan asked, writing down Robin's name carefully.

 

"Tips for past assignments, apparently," Donny replied.

 

"I was thinking about offering tutoring next year."

 

"How?" Craig groaned. "If you're getting by on, like, two hours of sleep or something, I'll hate you _forever_."

 

Ethan laughed and shook his head, then adjusted his glasses. "No, but I have a very strict and detailed timetable. I can work in an hour a day for tutoring. For the right price, of course."

 

"Eth's even got our make-out sessions on his timetable," Zach said absent-mindedly, trying to get the very last drop out of his juice box.

 

"Dude, really?" Craig asked, frowning.

 

"I like the anticipation," Ethan said with a slight shrug.

 

"What about spontaneity?" Wendy asked.

 

"Eth doesn't like surprises," Zach said, sucking on the straw one last time before setting the empty box down. "It's what we like, so why're you all bothered by it?"

 

"I'm not bothered by it," Adam said.

 

"Neither am I," Layla said, smiling.

 

"I don't care," Warren said, finishing his last mouthful and setting his fork down with a sigh. "What're you going to tutor people in, popsicle?"

 

"I was thinking of English and Science. It depends on my final scores; I wouldn't want to offer a sub-par service."

 

"You've got nothing to worry about; in fact, I'm surprised you haven't been bumped up a grade yet."

 

Ethan shrugged. "It was offered, but it would have been the middle of the year and I would have had to deal with far too much stress to catch up to the rest of the students. I'm not scheduled for a mental breakdown until senior year."

 

"Wait, what? You've _scheduled_ that in?" Craig asked incredulously.

 

Ethan's lips twitched in a smile, then he broke out into a hearty laugh, much to the surprise of the occupants of the surrounding tables.

 

"Oh, you little shit! I'm never going to believe anything you say ever again," Craig groaned, throwing his empty pudding container at Ethan.

 

Zach swatted the container away before it hit his boyfriend, looking so ridiculously happy that Ethan was laughing.

 

"Uh, excuse me, Warren? Could you heat my lunch, please?" Cassie asked, her voice barely heard over Ethan's laughter and the cafeteria noise in general.

 

"Sure, you've got a dollar?" he asked.

 

Cassie nodded and set the dollar down, a bright pink lipstick mark on it. She held out her tray, a stubborn pout on her bright pink lips. Warren's sudden disgust and shock swirled on Layla's wrist, and Warren tried to scoot back as far away from Cassie as possible.

 

"Hippie, help me," Warren said urgently.

 

"Oh, sweetheart. Come on, why don't we have a talk while Warren's heating your lunch?" Layla suggested, standing and guiding Cassie out of the cafeteria without letting her protest, Cassie's cheeks turning bright pink.

 

"I'm not missing this," Wendy muttered, almost running after them.

 

"Aw, man. I want to know what they're gonna say," Zach pouted.

 

"Don't suggest it, it's creepy as fuck," Donny said to Craig.

 

"I was just going to say bathroom walls are... wait, yeah, I just heard it. Creepy," Craig said, pulling a face at himself. "Thanks, dude."

 

In the girl's bathroom, Cassie was gathering her courage and bracing herself for a fight. Layla remembered the listening bug in the bathroom wall too late to go elsewhere without seeming suspicious. She smiled at Cassie briefly, Warren's feelings still spinning wildly on her wrist. Wendy practically burst into the bathroom, flushing slightly when they both looked to her.

 

"Sorry. Really need to pee," she lied, going to a stall and locking the door behind her.

 

Layla wanted to roll her eyes at the obvious lie, but focused her attention on Cassie instead. She had no idea how she wanted to handle this, or even _how_ to handle it in the first place, but Layla remembered Gwen's biting remarks at Will's party and knew how she _didn't_ want to handle Cassie's emotions. "So, how long have you felt this way about Warren?" she asked.

 

Cassie opened and closed her mouth a few times, surprised at the question. "I... uh, a month?"

 

"So, around the time the bus thing happened?"

 

"Well, yeah. But it's not because of that! It's because he's... well," Cassie trailed off, realising that Layla was actually Warren's girlfriend.

 

"Go on, I don't mind. It'll be between you and me," Layla said with a smile.

 

Wendy's snort of laughter was quickly covered up by the noisy rolling of toilet paper.

 

"And Wendy," Layla muttered to herself.

 

Cassie flushed pink again, but seemed relieved that Layla wasn't laughing or stringing her up to the ceiling by a vine, and it bolstered her courage. "Warren's nice, but only when he thinks people aren't looking. I look, so I notice, and I... I think he'll be an amazing Hero. He's also really hot."

 

Layla smiled at that. "Yes, he certainly is. Now, you realise that Warren is dating me?"

 

Cassie deflated slightly at that. "Well, yeah, but... he's a guy. My sister said that guys don't, y'know, stay faithful for long once they've gotten what they wanted."

 

"Bullshit," Wendy coughed from the cubicle.

 

"Does Warren seem like the kind of person who would be unfaithful?" Layla asked.

 

Cassie deflated completely then, her shoulders low and scuffing her foot on the tiles. "No, he doesn't. He looks at you sometimes, when you're not looking. It's like... like, you made the world turn just for him. I just thought it'd be nice if he looked at me like that," she said.

 

Layla was surprised to hear that about Warren, but tried not to smile too much. "I am sorry, Cassie, but Warren and I are happily dating and he has no interest in you beyond a fellow student here at Sky High," she said, trying to be firm and kind at the same time, not wanting Cassie to leave thinking there'd be a chance that she would ever end up with Warren.

 

"The attention you're giving him is actually very embarrassing for Warren. He's shy, quiet, and too polite to want to embarrass you in response."

 

Cassie's jaw dropped. "I didn't... I didn't think of that. I didn't mean to embarrass him!"

 

"I know that, Cassie, and so does Warren. It's flattering that you like him, but Warren doesn't feel the same way. If he wasn't heating your lunch, he'd say that for himself," Layla added, not wanting to sound as though she was putting words in her boyfriend's mouth. "You're an amazing sidekick, and your future Hero would be lucky to have you, but Warren won't be that for you either," she said.

 

Cassie turned away abruptly, tears filling her eyes. She saw her reflection in the mirror, her skin blotchy and eyes puffy, and winced at the sight as though seeing herself for the first time.

 

"It's all right, sweetheart. He's your first unrequited crush; you've got nothing to be upset or ashamed about, okay? You're handling this very well," Layla added with a smile. "Now, how about Wendy helps you clean up your makeup while I go see how your lunch is going, okay?"

 

Cassie sniffled and nodded, too embarrassed to meet Layla's eyes. "Thanks."

 

"Not a problem, sweetheart," Layla said, leaving the bathroom to return to the cafeteria.

 

Wendy made a show of flushing the toilet, opening the cubicle door and moving to the basin to wash her hands. "Still have your lipstick on you, sweetie?" she asked Cassie with a wink as she dried off her hands.

 

Cassie nodded and tugged the small tube - borrowed from her sister - out of her pocket.

 

"This colour really suits you," Wendy said with a warm smile. "Now, first things first: wash your face and take a few deep breaths, okay? Warren's not the only super out there, and I'm sure that one day you'll find someone who looks at you like you made the world turn for them, too," she said, handing Cassie a paper towel to dry off her face gently.

 

By the time they finished, Layla was waiting outside of the bathroom with Cassie's tray in hand. "Would you like company?" she offered, handing the tray to her.

 

Cassie shook her head. "No, thank you. I... uh, thanks for not hating me."

 

Layla smiled brightly. "I wouldn't hate you for liking my boyfriend anymore than I'd hate myself for liking him. Here, this will last for the rest of the year if you put it in water when you get home," she said, growing a pink rose and placing it on Cassie's tray carefully.

 

Cassie almost started crying again, though she didn't really know why; _maybe because Layla was being so_ ** _nice_** _about this whole thing?_

 

"You'd better go eat before lunch ends. Come see me if you want to learn more about makeup, okay?" Wendy offered.

 

With a nod and smile, Cassie headed outside to eat her lunch and recover emotionally.

 

"How'd I go?" Layla asked as she headed into the cafeteria with Wendy.

 

"Well, she didn't cover you in a layer of bubblegum and stick you to the ceiling, you didn't bury her in a million plants, so overall, not bad."

 

"Thanks, Wendy."

 

"No problem," Wendy replied cheerfully, looping her arm with Layla's. "I'll swap out that dollar so Warren doesn't have a heart attack."

 

"I appreciate it. I honestly thought he was going to run through a wall to get away from it."

 

"He might've if you hadn't been sitting there," Wendy said with a snicker. "Have you said hello to Magenta yet?"

 

"Yes, this morning. I might try to catch her again this afternoon. Will you work on Lisa?"

 

"Happily," Wendy said, smiling.

 

...

 

"I don't know if this is useful, or even what you want, so just let me know if it's too much, okay? I can make it shorter, or change it, or just stop it completely," Ethan said nervously, handing a small stack of papers to both Warren and Layla.

 

"Let me start with the obvious, Popsicle: what is it?" Warren asked, flicking through the pages in confusion.

 

"A report on the money from Mr. Phillips," Ethan replied. "Not all of it was money; there were bonds and shares as well as an investment property."

 

"What?"

 

"Don't worry, it's already tenanted. They're long-term and there's a real estate handling most things, but I'm checking Mr. Phillips' email address regularly to make sure there's nothing out of the ordinary. The return's quite good, and a lot of repairs have already been made in the past two years, so there shouldn't be anything required for another three years, at least."

 

"Uh, okay. What's this on page three?" Layla asked, skim-reading the document.

 

"Oh, that's the uses we've set aside for the money. Adam wrote a program for me, so I can view anyone's bank account as long as I know their BSB and account number," Ethan said, grinning. "I'm saving mine; Craig and Zach are pooling theirs to buy a projector; Adam's spent it at the DMV; Wendy has saved half and used the other half for clothes; you two haven't used it yet," he listed.

 

"The DMV? I thought Adam was planning on saving it?"

 

"He doesn't even have a car, and I know it doesn't cost that much for a license."

 

Ethan shrugged. "I just wrote the report, I didn't follow up with him. I can, if you'd like?"

 

Warren and Layla glanced to each other, then both shook their heads.

 

"It's all right, Ethan; we'll talk to him," Layla said.

 

"Thanks for this. How often will you do this sort of thing?" Warren asked.

 

"Monthly works best; I can have it done by the 5th of each month after the banks and various institutions have sent their own reports in."

 

"That sounds great. Thank you," Layla said.

 

Ethan smiled broadly. "No problem."

 

Layla and Warren headed through the Hive to find where Adam had gone. As they passed the entertainment room, they heard Zach and Craig arguing about which projectors had the best quality. Wendy was Skyping Heidi in a room a few hives down, her hands working smoothly to translate her words. Donny was up in the forest, though he had promised to return in time for lunch.

 

"No, like this," Heidi said, repeating the ASL movement slowly for her.

 

"What are you planning on spending your money on, hippie?" Warren asked as they continued to look for Adam.

 

"I hadn't really thought about it; it's not a priority right now," Layla replied with a shrug. "What about you?"

 

"There's some new cookware I've been eyeing off; the pots and pans at home are old," he said. "Mum'll be suspicious if I go out and buy them without a reason or any supposed savings, so I'll have to think about that one."

 

"How about I get you a gift card for your birthday?" Layla suggested.

 

"That works, but it means I still have my money and you don't."

 

"You can buy me a gift card for my birthday then."

 

"Not the point, hippie," Warren said, shaking his head.

 

"Ah, there you are. Can we interrupt, Adam?" Layla asked, smiling when she saw him sitting at a desk, studying.

 

"Sure, I can use a break. What's up?"

 

"We'd like to talk to you about how you spent the money from Phillips."

 

Adam blinked and frowned. "We were allowed to spend it, right?"

 

"Oh, yes, definitely. It's your decision as to how and why you spend it, but Warren and I were a little concerned. We saw you spent it at the DMV, so we wanted to know if everything was all right?" Layla asked, her tone kind and non-judgemental.

 

"How'd you know I spent it there?"

 

"Ethan created a report so we could see all of Phillips' assets and what everyone was doing with the money," Layla said, showing him Ethan's report.

 

"You said you wanted to save it, so we're just asking, dude. You can tell us to fuck off," Warren added.

 

Adam felt embarrassment and shame building up in his body. "Fuck off," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

 

"All right. We'll be upstairs if you want to talk about it," Layla said easily, taking Warren's hand as they left to go to the kitchen.

 

Adam spat on Ethan's report, watching with vindictive pleasure as the paper was eaten up by his acid.

 

...

 

"Do you think Adam hates us now?" Layla asked with a sigh, leaning over to the window to pick a few lemons off the tree she'd grown outside.

 

"No idea; you'll have to ask Adam, not me," Warren said, kissing her cheek as he took the lemons from her hands. "I'll make lunch if you can get two zucchinis, an onion, and some garlic for me."

 

"What are you making?" she asked curiously, concentrating on creating the required vegetables in Eden's vegetable patch.

 

"It's a surprise," Warren replied, getting a pot out of the cupboard, putting the lemons on a chopping board and a zester from the drawer.

 

Curious, but willing to let Warren surprise her, Layla left the kitchen to go out and dig up the vegetables. By the time she returned, Adam was in the kitchen and Warren was lighting the stovetop to boil water and heat a frying pan with some oil covering the base.

 

"Are you upset with us, Adam?" Layla asked, setting the vegetables on the bench for Warren.

 

Adam licked his lips and shrugged. "Yeah, a little."

 

"Is it because we asked about the money?" Warren asked, washing the dirt off the vegetables.

 

"Yeah. You said we could spend it on whatever we wanted, then you asked me about what I spent it on. You didn't ask the others."

 

"We knew what they were buying already," Warren said, peeling and chopping the onion.

 

"Wendy sent me photos of the clothes she tried on in the dressing room, and we all knew about the projector. The last we heard from you was that you planned on saving the money, so we were surprised," Layla added.

 

"But, like we said: it's your money and you can do whatever you want with it," Warren said, crushing the garlic under the flat blade of his knife.

 

Layla and Adam both sat on the kitchen stools, watching Warren as he worked quickly and methodically. The water boiled, Warren adding a thick handful of dry spaghetti and stirring briefly to keep the strands separated. He grated both zucchini quickly, Layla taking a moment to appreciate her boyfriend's arms as he worked. Warren winked at her when he felt her desire spinning on his wrist.

 

"Don't worry, Adam; we won't ask again," he said, scooping the garlic and onion into the frying pan before sprinkling chilli flakes on top.

 

"I can never measure spaghetti properly; I always seems to make enough for ten people instead of one or two," Layla said, grinning.

 

"Spaghetti doubles in size, so you can measure out how much you'd normally eat, then half it. I know Frieda's got a set of kitchen scales," Warren added. "Otherwise, you can curve your pointer finger into your thumb, and that circle's about a serving," he said, demonstrating before moving back to the frying pan to stir the ingredients.

 

Adding the grated zucchini and lemon zest, Warren then halved the lemon and squeezed the juice into the pan as well. Testing the spaghetti, Warren drained the pot, stirred the ingredients in the frying pan once more, then added some salt and pepper before carefully tipping them into the pot, stirring it through the spaghetti.

 

"That smells amazing, Warren. I'll go get the others," Layla said, hopping off her stool and heading down into the Hive.

 

Adam was silent as he watched Warren serve up their lunch into seven bowls and open a drawer for cutlery. Rubbing his hands over his face, Adam sighed heavily. "My dad lost his job a few months ago. He's an architect, and one of his buildings collapsed after the Commander threw a car into it. He's been having a hard time getting anything permanent, my folks needed the money to pay the car registration, so I offered to help."

 

Warren nodded. "You didn't need to explain, Adam."

 

"Yeah, I know."

 

"Mind if I tell Layla?" Warren asked.

 

Adam shrugged. "Nah, go ahead. Just, later, when I'm not here? I don't want to be judged for it."

 

"Dude, no one's judging you. The Commander's fucked up so many things, I'm not surprised that he screwed up things for you too. But I'll tell Layla later," Warren promised.

 

"Thanks, man," Adam said, relieved at having someone to talk to about this. He grabbed the cutlery and his own bowl, taking it over to the dining table.

 

Donny came in from Eden, making sure to wipe the dirt off his shoes first. "Lunch smells good; what is it?" he asked, taking a bowl off the bench.

 

"Chilli, zucchini, and lemon pasta. Nothing major," Warren replied, taking three bowls to the table and returning for the last two.

 

"Free lunch, awesome!" Craig sang, sitting down next to Adam. He had a mouthful of spaghetti before the others had even sat down.

 

"Aren't you burning your mouth?" Wendy asked as she sat beside Donny.

 

Craig shook his head and grinned broadly as he swallowed. "Nah; I changed my mouth."

 

Wendy blinked, frowned, and then shook her head. "I don't want to know."

 

Craig snorted in amusement and took another bite. Ethan and Zach sat across from each other, Layla and Warren taking the seats at either end of the table.

 

"This is delicious, Warren. Can I get the recipe?" Layla asked, smiling at him.

 

"Sure."

 

"Me too," Zach said, swallowing fast and almost choking.

 

"You're going to choke to death one day," Wendy said, hitting his back to dislodge the food caught in his throat.

 

Zach coughed a few times, then shook his head and inhaled deeply when his throat was clear again. "Food won't betray me like that."

 

"Obviously," she said, rolling her eyes.

 

"I need you guys to help me," Warren said, twirling his spaghetti on his fork.

 

"What with?" Craig asked, frowning.

 

"I need to explain all of this to Mum. She overheard some things and kinda knows what's going on, but she wants a proper explanation," he replied.

 

The table fell to silence as they thought about the implications: Nina Peace, Baron Battle's ex-wife, had learnt that her son's views were more like Barron's than her own. It was every superhero parent's worst nightmare.

 

"Dude, how are you still alive? Or, y'know, not in Maxville Super Penitentiary?" Adam asked incredulously.

 

Warren shrugged. "I think Frieda helped her through it. Well, that, and my mother's super-amazing," he said with a grin when Zach snorted in amusement.

 

"If my folks found out, I might as well start digging my own grave," Craig said.

 

"What are you planning on doing when they do find out? This won't stay a secret forever," Wendy said, frowning at him.

 

"I'm burning that bridge when I get to it," he replied.

 

"We should focus on Warren's problem first," Layla said. "But we might find a solution for your parents as well, Craig," she added with a smile.

 

"All right. After lunch though. Can I go for seconds, dude?" Craig asked, trying to look over Warren's shoulder to the pot sitting on the kitchen bench.

 

"Go for it," Warren said with a nod, relief starting to untangle the knot in his stomach.

 

Warren just hoped that they'd all be able to come up with something that could convince his mother that he really _wasn't_ like his father.

 

...

 

End of the fifty-sixth chapter.


	57. Chapter 57

"You're procrastinating," Nina pointed out when Warren offered to bring in the laundry.

 

"Yeah, I know," he replied, sighing and running a hand through his hair.

 

"Bring in the laundry and then we'll talk, okay? I'll fold it all later; if we do it while we're talking, something might catch on fire and they're my favourite towels."

 

Grateful for the few extra moments to compose himself, Warren just nodded and headed to the backyard to collect the laundry.

 

Nina sighed as she watched him go, wondering if she should even be doing this. Kids did things that their parents didn't understand all the time - Super Jesus knew that her parents hadn't understood her decision to marry Barron - but that didn't mean they had to explain those things. Despite this thought, Nina couldn't bring herself to change her mind. She'd given Warren almost a full week to organise and plan for this, and she wanted to know what he would say. Mostly, Nina wanted to know if it would change her mind or confirm her thoughts that her son was exactly like his father, despite her best efforts.

 

Warren put the laundry basket on the washing machine, and took a moment to inhale deeply, trying to control his nerves. He shook his hands out, rolled his shoulders, and let off some excess emotion by lighting his arms up. Feeling a little more composed - but not by much - Warren headed back to the lounge room where his mother was waiting. He pulled out a small set of cards from his pocket (written and numbered carefully by Ethan, for which Warren was grateful), and sat on the chair across from Nina.

 

"Cue cards?" Nina asked, looking as amused as she sounded.

 

Warren shrugged slightly. "Like you said, we're not good at talking; these will keep me on track. If I don't set them alight," he added with a smile that was far too brief.

 

Nina couldn't argue that, so simply nodded and waited.

 

Inhaling deeply one more time, Warren began. "There are lots of reasons I'm doing this, and I don't plan on killing and kidnapping anyone who opposes me," he said, already easing one of Nina's fears - one of the things that had caused Barron's fourth life in prison. "Sky High results in approximately 83% good and 17% evil graduates, so I'm not doing this as an act of rebellion or without thinking it through. By carefully planning and not doing things without thinking about the consequences first, there's more likelihood of succeeding in our plans."

 

 _Huh, that was Ethan_ , Nina thought to herself, almost as surprised at that as she was by hearing the words 'our plans' - which was more than enough to confirm her suspicions about the rest of Warren's friends. She'd met all of Warren's friends through his study groups and the weekend ASL classes by now. While she hadn't _interrogated_ them like she had with Adam, Nina felt that she knew them well enough by now to know how they would speak. _Those words hadn't been her son's, but Ethan? He_ ** _definitely_** _would have said that_.

 

In that moment, Nina knew that while Warren might have accidentally quoted his father's words, he definitely wasn't Barron. Barron never listened to anyone, always believing himself to know more than those around him, whether it was his sidekick or his wife.

 

"It's not something I'm doing for fun, it's not a phase; it's something I'm doing to help fix a broken system. You know better than anyone that the system is broken," Warren added, glancing up from his cue cards to judge Nina's expression at his words.

 

Zach's words this time, Nina thought. She wasn't sure what he saw in her expression, but Warren looked back down to his cards a second later to continue.

 

"There are troves of online forums and groups with superheroes that are looking for work, and most of it is either work that's been deemed beneath the Commander and Jetstream, or it's something impossible that they know will probably kill them. Jetstream and the Commander monopolise the market, and that's not just in Maxville. They've taken over in places like Japan, France, and Greece, and the main superheroes in these countries have suffered as a result."

 

_That was more a combination; Adam definitely with the online stuff, perhaps Wendy or Donny with the countries?_

 

"The Commander and Jetstream only ever see the world in black and white, good and bad, superhero and supervillain, but that's not how the world - or people - work. There's a grey area between, other real-world reasons that might make good people snap, or bad people try to redeem themselves. But with the bias towards the Commander and Jetstream, most citizens - and therefore, citizen governments that dictate super laws - only believe good or bad to be the only options in a super's life, when there's so much more any of us could be or do."

 

 _Craig this time_. Warren had obviously reached out and asked his friends for help. Barron had never _once_ asked Nina for help, even when he was being arrested and dragged away by the Commander and Jetstream.

 

"People, both citizen and super, have suffered due to the Commander not thinking of the consequences of his actions; he's destroyed buildings, main roads, cars and trucks, which have then impacted on the people that worked in those buildings, drove on the roads, or owned the cars and trucks."

 

 _Ah, that was Donny_.

 

"All right, Warren. That's enough," Nina said when he looked up again.

 

Warren looked relieved, but held up the stack of cue cards. "Are you sure? I practised, so I know I've got another five minutes of this," he offered.

 

Nina bit back her laugh, but couldn't hold back a smile. "I'm sure, kid. I'm still not _happy_ about this, but..." she sighed heavily but continued, forcing the words out. "I understand why. Thank you for that," she added. "Now, I want you to promise me two things."

 

"What are they?" Warren asked sceptically; he definitely couldn't promise not to kill anyone.

 

"One, that you won't monologue; that's how your father got caught," she added with a stern look when Warren smiled at her request.

 

"All right, no monologuing," he agreed. "And the second thing?"

 

"Promise me that you won't go to prison, all right? I wouldn't be able to handle both my son _and_ my husband being incarcerated," Nina said with a sigh.

 

"Don't worry, Mum; I wouldn't be in there for long."

 

Something about the certainty in Warren's voice had a shiver running up Nina's spine. Warren kissed her cheek and hugged her firmly, warming her again in an instant.

 

"We'll be okay, Mum. I'm not doing it out of jealousy or needing to prove a point like Dad did, and I'm not alone. I'm not him," Warren said adamantly.

 

Nina hugged her son tightly in return. "I know you're not," she said, knowing it to be the truth.

 

...

 

"How did it go with your mother, dear?" Frieda asked as she drove Layla and Warren to the first day of the beekeeping workshop.

 

"Better than I expected. She doesn't hate me, she's not _happy_ \- I hadn't truly expected her to be - but Mum said that she understands why I'm doing this, so it's better than nothing."

 

"That's lovely to hear, dear. Do you think it would help if I talked to her? Sometimes it can help to hear things from other people."

 

Warren gave a differential shrug. "I don't know if Mum would agree to that; most things she's heard from other people over the years has been verbal abuse because of her relationship with my father. It might reinforce her feelings about how bad this is."

 

Frieda considered this, her teeth clenched at the thought of Nina being verbally abused for more than fifteen years over something that was beyond her control and not her fault in the first place. "Well, I'd rather that didn't happen. Just let me know if that changes, all right, dear?"

 

"I will. Thank you, Frieda."

 

Frieda glanced in the rear view mirror briefly to smile at Warren. Beside him, Layla took his hand and squeezed gently. The car fell to silence as Frieda concentrated on the roads and tried to find their destination.

 

"Ah, here it is. Now, are you both sure you'll be all right? I can do the grocery shopping afterwards, if you'd prefer me to wait around," Frieda offered.

 

"We'll be all right, Frieda. Thank you for driving us," Layla said with a smile.

 

"Thanks, Frieda," Warren said, getting out of the car.

 

Layla leaned over the front seat to press a kiss to Frieda's cheek. "I'll call you when we've finished. Enjoy grocery shopping."

 

"Thank you, dear. Did you add everything you wanted to the grocery list?"

 

"Yes, I remembered."

 

"Okay; have fun, dear. Bye, cutie!" Frieda called out to Warren as Layla opened her door to get out of the car.

 

Warren sighed and waved goodbye to Frieda, then took Layla's hand to guide her inside before anyone heard him being called _cutie_.

 

...

 

Pushing her trolley around the store, Frieda looked to her grocery list, amused to see Honey's handwriting and the things she had added to the list. Rolled oats were cheap enough and peanut butter was on special, so she bought two of each. After setting them in her trolley, she looked at the next item on the list, frowning slightly when she realised the item was on a top shelf that she wouldn't have been able to reach even if she was twenty years younger.

 

"Excuse me, dear? Would you mind helping an old woman and fetching that box up there, please?" she asked a passing employee.

 

"Oh. Sure," the employee replied, realising just how short Frieda was. "This one?" they asked, offering the box to her.

 

"That's it, thank you so much for your help."

 

"No problem," they replied, continuing on their way when they realised they weren't needed for any more high-shelf items.

 

Setting the box in her trolley, an abrupt movement caught Frieda's attention. She glanced over, double-taking when she realised she recognised the person who'd turned around abruptly on entering the aisle. "Greta?"

 

Her former friend's shoulders stiffened at being addressed, and Greta turned to face Frieda, a fake smile on her face. "Frieda, it's been too long! How are you?" she asked, her voice as thick and sweet as syrup.

 

"Oh, do cut the crap, Greta," Frieda said, rolling her eyes.

 

Greta's jaw clenched. "I see you've overcome your dislike of swear words," she spat.

 

"Not really, but I feel you'll respond to it more; like recognises like, and all that," Frieda replied.

 

Greta's face turned a blotchy red colour. "Oh, shut up."

 

"Now, now, we can both be civil, can't we?"

 

"I _tried_ to be civil," Greta snapped.

 

"No, what you tried to do was act as though nothing had happened between us, as though you'd done nothing wrong; that's a completely different thing, Greta."

 

Greta fell silent at the reminder, though she didn't look guilty in the slightest. "Well, it was anything _but_ lovely to see you again, Frieda. Let's _not_ do this again," she muttered.

 

"Layla's happy, if you care to know," Frieda called after her.

 

"I really don't," Greta snapped over her shoulder, her face paling as phantom thorns dug at her skin. She hurried out of the aisle and didn't look back.

 

Frieda sighed and shook her head; _Greta was a sad woman, and she was going to end up alone and lonely_. Continuing with her shopping, Frieda didn't bump into Greta again. She couldn't bring herself to care or more than vaguely wonder whether Greta was simply avoiding her or had left the store entirely. Frieda had more important things - and people - to think about than her former friend.

 

_Now, where was that vegan ice cream hidden?_

 

...

 

"I had no idea that so much was involved in beekeeping," Layla said, feeling as though her head was spinning from all of the new information she'd learnt that day.

 

"I don't know if it's better or worse that I know bees can detect CO2 and know when we're breathing near them," Warren said, a little disconcerted at the fact.

 

"How about honeybee alarm pheromones smelling like bananas?" she asked, grinning slightly.

 

"Also weird. They make honey, where does the banana thing even come from?"

 

Layla laughed and kissed his cheek. "I'm just glad the workshop comes with a starter kit. I wouldn't have any idea where to buy half of this stuff," she said, looking to the large bags by their feet.

 

"I'm pretty sure they'd be on the 'no-buy' list, even though it's nylon and cotton."

 

"Hmm, maybe. They seem like normal materials compared to aramid, novoloid, and vinyon."

 

"Doesn't mean they can't be used for nefarious purposes," Warren pointed out.

 

Layla frowned. "I don't know how nylon and cotton could be nefarious, and I don't think I want to know."

 

Warren laughed and kissed her cheek.

 

Waving for the bus to stop, Layla grabbed the bags and offered one to Warren. He rolled his eyes and took both from her, nodding for her to board the bus.

 

"Just you two today?" the driver asked.

 

"Yes," Warren said, a little warily.

 

"Your bees making any honey yet?" he asked pleasantly, not aware of Warren's tone.

 

Layla smiled and sat at the front of the empty bus to talk with the driver, Warren setting their bags down and sitting nearby.

 

The trip to the Hive was over in twenty minutes, Layla promising the driver the first jar of honey when it was ready.

 

"You two take care," the driver called before he closed the doors behind them.

 

Layla waved before heading down to the Hive, Warren following beside her. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry a bag?" she asked, looking at him.

 

"I'm balanced," he replied with a brief shrug. "What's that?" Warren asked, seeing a piece of paper on a tree up ahead.

 

Layla hurried to the tree, reaching out with her power to ensure that the tree hadn't been hurt or damaged in some way. She sighed in relief when she saw that the piece of paper had been carefully tied to the tree rather than stapled or nailed there. Untying the string, Layla took the paper and started to read.

 

"Can we read it in the Hive?" Warren asked, glancing around to ensure that no one was watching or waiting for them.

 

Realising the implication of standing in one spot after receiving a message - they might as well stand on top of a giant red target - Layla nodded and they continued into the small forest, trees blocking their path behind them.

 

Setting the beekeeping bags in the entry, Warren shut the door and headed into the lounge area where his and Layla's chair was set up. It provided a view out of the front window, but still protected them from sight. Going down into the lower hive would prevent them from seeing who was coming, and he didn't want to lose that advantage.

 

"It's from AAA Contractors," Layla said, sitting beside Warren and offering him the letter. "They want to use my trees for building materials."

 

"That's it? Why didn't they just call?"

 

"They destroyed all of the paperwork after the Hive was created, so they don't have my phone number anymore. I mean, Patrick knows where I work, so he could have called the Mayor's office, but I'm pretty sure doing this would mean bypassing the timber manufacturers. They're citizen-owned, so they can charge whatever they want to super-owned companies, which isn't fair; just because we're supers, it doesn't mean we get paid more than citizens."

 

"It's a good idea."

 

"You think so?" Layla asked, surprised at his easy agreement.

 

Warren nodded. "You remember what I told you about Adam's father, how Curtis lost his job because the Commander accidentally destroyed one of his buildings?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Well, the Commander wouldn't be able to destroy this place, would he? It'd be your power against his, right?" Warren asked, looking to the room around them; he'd bet that the Commander wouldn't be able to dent Layla's work.

 

"Right... So if I create the materials for AAA Contractors, I don't see how that does anything for Curtis?" Layla said, confused.

 

"Get AAA Contractors to hire him as an architect, they build a house with your trees, and in the Commander's next fight with a villain, Curtis' building stays intact while others are destroyed."

 

Comprehension dawned on Layla's face, her eyes bright as she thought of the implications. "That would work. You're _amazing_ , Warren," she said, kissing him fiercely.

 

Warren tugged Layla onto his lap, deepening their kiss as his hands slipped under her jean-clad thighs, and Layla pressed her body against his.

 

"I love you," Layla breathed as she pulled away.

 

Warren smiled up at her, warm and broad. "Love you," he replied before pulling Layla back into another deep kiss.

 

They stopped a moment later, Layla curling up against Warren's chest and sighing. "We have to study; Honey will be here and you'll have to go to work before we know it."

 

"Mmm, it can wait," Warren murmured, stroking her back with warm fingertips.

 

"Not if I want to beat Adam and Craig for top spot; Adam's last essay was one point more than mine."

 

"Did Ethan write it?" Warren asked curiously.

 

"No, he stopped when Adam finished his coding; this one was Adam's own work," Layla said, trying not to sound annoyed. She kissed Warren once more, then left to get her homework.

 

Warren supposed he had to keep on top of his studies as well; Wendy was determined to get top spot, and Warren wasn't going to give it up easily.

 

Almost an hour later, a gasp of laughter had Warren looking up from his homework and over to Layla. "What's so funny?"

 

"Lustful's autobiography. I'm reading it for English for Heroes. She talks about how she escaped from the Commander and Jetstream," Layla said, laughing again.

 

"Uh-huh, and how was that?"

 

"By making out with both of them until they undid the handcuffs themselves," she said, her laughter dissolving into giggles.

 

"Seriously?" Warren asked, tugging the book from her grasp to read it for himself. "Huh. Well, it is an autobiography so take it with a grain of salt. That being said, I'm pretty sure Jetstream's autobiography didn't even mention Lustful," he added with a grin.

 

When Layla finally stopped giggling she took the book back from Warren. "Imagine what Will's going to say about it," she said, her eyes bright with mirth.

 

Warren grinned at the thought. "How do you know he's even reading it?"

 

"The hardcover version has a dust jacket that covers a picture of Lustful from the neck down."

 

"Huh?"

 

"Her breasts are on the hardcover version; there's one of those promotional stickers on the front that states there's more pictures inside. Sex sells, and super-sex sells faster," Layla said, rolling her eyes. "There were only a few copies of the paperback in the library, so most of the class have bought their own copies; several people bought a hardcover one, including Will. As did Larry, so his mother might have a heart attack if she knew what the dust jacket was hiding," she said with a slight smirk.

 

"That doesn't mean he's reading the words, hippie," Warren pointed out.

 

Layla conceded with a nod. "I suppose not, but Mr. Bowie is expecting a book report from each of us, and he'll know if we haven't read the book."

 

"Will that matter for Will Stronghold, third generation super?"

 

"Maybe not to him, but it will to Josie Stronghold," she replied, grinning.

 

...

 

"Will, have you done your homework?"

 

"I'm doing it now," Will called out, hurrying to put the dust jacket back on his book.

 

Josie opened her son's door and frowned in at him. "What homework are you doing that involves you sitting on your bed?"

 

"We've got to read a book for English; it's more comfortable to read here than at my desk," Will said, hoping and praying that his mother wouldn't come into his room.

 

"Okay. Do you need a highlighter or notepad to take notes?"

 

"Uh, no. I'm reading it for fun first, then taking notes. Y'know, to get my head around it," he said quickly. "Gotta keep reading, I'm up to a good part," Will said, looking back to the book and pretending to be deeply involved with whatever was written on the page.

 

"All right. I'll call you for dinner," Josie said over her shoulder as she left Will's room.

 

"Can you close the door?" Will called.

 

Sighing when there was no response, Will set the book aside, re-zipped and adjusted his jeans, and hurried to close his door firmly. He honestly wished he could get a lock for his door, then wished that there was a lock that could withstand his father's strength.

 

...

 

A knock at the door had the frame rattling, and Jared hurried to open the door before it was knocked out of the frame completely. "Good morning, Will. You're here early; did you catch the bus?" Jared asked, checking his watch and then the clock on the wall to make sure he had the right time.

 

"I flew. I was hoping to talk to you before class started."

 

"All right, what's on your mind?"

 

"It's the book for English for Heroes. Lustful, uh... she mentions my parents."

 

"A lot of villains and heroes mention your parents in their memoirs," Jared said.

 

"Yeah, but Lustful talks about using her power on them in _detail_ ," Will said, feeling nauseous.

 

"Ah, I see. You're embarrassed."

 

"Of course I am, it's my parents! Everyone's going to be reading about it."

 

"I should hope so; the book is _required reading_ , so reading the book is required to pass this class," Jared pointed out.

 

"How would you feel if it was your mum?"

 

"My last boyfriend wrote his dissertation on my mother and criticised several of her decisions without taking external factors into account," he replied with a brief shrug. "That being said, he didn't write about her sexual conquests. Although, my mother would be the first to talk about that. She had a very healthy sexual appetite in college."

 

"What?!" Will asked, looking horrified.

 

"It was the sixties; everyone did everything and everyone," Jared said, unperturbed by Will's scandalised expression. "I'm presuming you actually came to ask a question, not just tell me you've been reading the book?" he added, realising that they were getting off track.

 

"Yeah, I want you to assign a different book. I don't want to read about my parents having sex, or... being _manipulated_ into having sex."

 

Jared shook his head. "Okay, I retract my previous statement: you obviously haven't read the book. Skipped ahead to the good parts, I'm assuming?" he asked with a slight grin.

 

"W-what? I... Of course I've read it!" Will said earnestly.

 

"If you'd read the first chapter, then you'd know that Lustful's power only works on people who are attracted to her in the first place. She had parents, friends, teachers, and all manner of acquaintances and enemies, but if they weren't attracted to her, then her power did nothing to them."

 

"I thought... I thought it was a permanent thing, something she couldn't control?"

 

"It was both permanent and uncontrollable for Lustful, but that doesn't mean her power worked on everyone in the world. If it did, then she could have controlled the world as a teenager, rather than becoming Hero Support for Caesar the Corruptible."

 

"How did she become Hero Support anyway?"

 

"It's in the book, Will," Jared said. He sighed and rolled his eyes when Will just looked vaguely confused. "Coach Sylvester wasn't attracted to her, so he didn't believe she had any powers; the freshmen with her didn't exactly prove otherwise since he thought they were nothing but hormonal teenagers anyway."

 

Will nodded in understanding, though his brow was furrowed as he thought through their conversation. Comprehension dawned on his face and he looked at Jared. " _Both_ of my parents were attracted to Lustful?!"

 

"I can't answer that, Will."

 

"Oh, right. Thanks, Mr. Bowie."

 

"No problem," he replied with a brief nod. The first bell rang loudly and Jared guided Will over to the door. "Maybe try reading the book from the start, okay?"

 

Will's cheeks turned pink and he nodded quickly. "Okay. Bye," he said, flying down the corridor to his locker.

 

"No flying in the hallways!" Jared called after him.

 

...

 

"I think Mr. Boy was inspired by Mr. Bowie," Zach said with a grin.

 

"In what way?" Wendy asked curiously.

 

"He asked us to choose a biography or autobiography of a sidekick who wasn't him," he replied.

 

"There aren't many Hero Support who have their own autobiographies or biographies, so the choice wasn't as difficult as the Heroes' decision," Ethan added.

 

"So who'd you choose?" Craig asked, taking a bite of his toasted sandwich.

 

"Jetstream wrote a biography about her sidekick after the Spinner Sisters killed her, so we're reading that one. I don't remember her name," Zach said with a shrug.

 

"It's interesting so far, though you can definitely tell that Jetstream wrote it," Ethan said, frowning as he poked at his lunch with his fork.

 

"So, my Dad got a call last night. Someone wants him to design a house out on Sycamore," Adam said, sitting down with a tray of food and immediately swapping his pudding with Donny's offered one.

 

"Dude, that's great news! Isn't it?" Craig asked, realising that Adam didn't look happy.

 

"Yeah, it's good, but I doubt it was as spontaneous as it seemed. Did you two have something to do with it?" he asked Warren and Layla.

 

"AAA Contractors wanted to use my trees for building materials; I wanted them to use an architect I trust. It's a win-win situation," Layla said with a shrug.

 

"You haven't met my Dad, how do you trust him?" Adam asked, his eyes narrowing.

 

"Yes, they have; at the barbecue," Ethan prompted.

 

"Layla talked with Curtis and Richard about model trains after I went to work," Warren added, handing Zach his now-toasted sandwich.

 

"Curtis was very nice and picked some onion out of my hair," Layla said with a smile.

 

"He didn't pick any onion out of my hair," Craig groused.

 

"That's because you decided to nap in the dog area and the dogs basically licked you clean," Zach said.

 

"Which _still_ doesn't mean it was hygienic," Ethan added.

 

Craig pulled several faces at him.

 

"Aren't AAA Contractors the ones that put the cameras around Maxville?" Wendy asked.

 

Layla nodded, her mouth full of salad.

 

"So how long do they usually take to build houses? And why are they building the house in the first place? Aren't they a commercial company?"

 

Warren shrugged. "It's not our house, so I've got no idea why."

 

"The contract stated they'd need trees for the next month, so I'm assuming it'll take that long at least. There's the timber frame and then exterior cladding, but I don't have to do anything for the interior. Do you think the owner would want furniture?" Layla mused.

 

"You're going to be exhausted with these trees already, hippie. At least wait until they've moved in before offering furniture as well," Warren said.

 

"But they need furniture _while_ they're moving in, not afterwards," Ethan pointed out.

 

"Put a flyer in their mailbox," Zach said with a shrug, taking a large bite of his sandwich.

 

"Does anyone even read flyers anymore?" Adam asked.

 

"Just 'cause you're basically a human computer, it doesn't mean everyone is," Donny said, rolling his eyes.

 

"A human computer? Dude, that's so _not_ what I am."

 

"Any volunteers for the flyer?" Warren asked.

 

"I'll do it," Wendy said. "Can I take some photos of the furniture in the Hive, Layla?"

 

"Of course. That's a good idea," she replied with a smile.

 

The general cafeteria buzz of noise became louder than usual. Donny looked around, catching a thought here and there, then concentrating to find out what had happened.

 

"What's going on?" Zach asked curiously, finishing off his sandwich and drinking his water in a long gulp.

 

"Apparently Will's having a birthday party," Donny said.

 

"Looks like he's invited most of the school," Ethan said, assessing the people in the cafeteria and realising that their table was the only one that hadn't received invitations.

 

"By 'most', you mean 'everyone except us,' right?" Wendy asked, coming to the same realisation.

 

"The Strongholds might be rich, but their house isn't big enough to fit everyone," Craig said. "Hey, Ritchie; where's Stronghold's party gonna be?" he asked.

 

Ritchie looked uncomfortable at being singled out. "I don't know."

 

"Dude, you're literally holding an invitation. What, don't you trust me anymore?" Craig asked, sounding wounded.

 

Ritchie sighed. "It's at Maxville Arcade; he's got the whole place booked," he said, failing to hide his excitement.

 

"Arcade games, laser tag, and glow-in-the-dark bowling?" Zach asked.

 

Ritchie blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah; how'd you know?"

 

"Because that's been my dream birthday party for the last six years," Zach snapped.

 

Ritchie flinched at the bright flash of light that Zach emitted and quickly turned back to his lunch.

 

"We've been talking about having that party for _years_ , and then he does it and doesn't even invite me?!" Zach muttered, unaware that his body was glowing brightly. "Fuck this," he snapped, getting up and leaving the cafeteria without another word.

 

"I'll go talk to him," Ethan said, blinking rapidly so his eyes would adjust to the sudden lack of brilliant light.

 

"Finish your lunch; I'll do it," Warren said, heading after Zach. Finding him outside, Warren sat next to Zach on the retaining wall. "You're really upset about this, huh?"

 

"No shit."

 

"Why?"

 

Zach's glow lessened and he shrugged. "Will's been my friend since elementary school. Not as long as Layla, but it's close, and... this is the exact sort of party I would've _killed_ for when I was younger. We talked about this; how cool it'd be, how we could pretend we were supers, that sorta stuff. It's the first time I won't be going to Will's birthday party since we met. I mean, I don't even like him that much anymore, and I still haven't forgiven him, but... Fuck, it's so _stupid_ that I'm upset about this," he groaned.

 

"You're allowed to be upset, Zach. You've been friends for ages, so yeah, it sucks when that ends. And the fact that he's using your birthday party idea only means one thing," Warren said.

 

"What's that?" Zach asked curiously.

 

"That's he's so unoriginal that he can't even think of his own birthday party ideas. Like, c'mon, you've had this idea since you were ten years old and he has it now? He could've had a laser tag party any time in the last six years, and he does it now that you're _not_ friends? It's a shitty thing for him to do, and you don't need friends like that."

 

Zach sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. Fuck, I feel so stupid."

 

"You feel stupid for having emotions?" Warren asked, his response startling a laugh out of Zach.

 

"Yeah, all right. Thanks, Warren."

 

"No problem. Want me to set him on fire?" Warren asked with a grin as they headed back inside.

 

"Always, man."

 

...

 

End of the fifty-seventh chapter.


	58. Chapter 58

Layla felt like she was vibrating with nervous energy, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. She knew when Warren would be getting on the bus, yet she looked up at every stop just in case he had decided to get on at a different stop this morning.

 

Finally, Warren stepped onto the bus and headed to their seat at the back. He frowned slightly on seeing Layla's excited expression and bright smile. "Why're you so happy, hippie?"

 

"It's your birthday," Layla replied simply. "Happy birthday, Warren," she said, kissing his cheek once he was seated.

 

"Ah, yeah. I forgot."

 

"You forgot it was your birthday?"

 

Warren shrugged. "It hasn't been a big deal since I was a kid; it's just another day."

 

"Oh. Does that mean you _don't_ want your present?" Layla asked, hesitating.

 

"Hand it over, hippie."

 

Perking up, Layla opened her bag and pulled out a present wrapped in black paper, tied with a bright red ribbon and bow. Warren sat up properly and set his bag aside before accepting the gift. He pulled off the ribbon and stuck it to Layla's shoulder with a grin. Ripping the paper, Warren scrunched it up and set it aside, then opened the box to look at his present.

 

"A coffee mug?" he asked, seeing the words 'caffeine > consciousness' written on the side of the homemade mug. Inside was a bag of chocolate-coated coffee beans and a voucher for the coffee shop next to the Council building.

 

"I thought you could keep the mug at Frieda's, so you have your own personal mug there. I made it myself," Layla said with a bright smile.

 

Realising that Layla had probably kilned the mug herself, Warren reached out for his power subtly, recognising the heat within the clay mug now that he was looking for it. "That's really good work. I love it; thanks, hippie," he said, kissing her.

 

"You're welcome. You'll get the other present later," Layla said with a smile, taking the ball of wrapping paper and putting it in her bag to recycle later.

 

"Other present?"

 

"It's a surprise," she said, kissing him and smiling as she pulled away. "There's a third present in your locker. Well, technically second since that's the order you'd receive it, but it was the third thing I thought of," Layla added.

 

"All right. I'm going to eat this bag for breakfast," Warren announced, opening the chocolate coffee beans.

 

"Breakfast? You didn't eat anything yet?" Layla asked, frowning.

 

"Mum left for work early and I overslept," he said with a shrug.

 

"I'm growing you some fruit as soon as we've landed. You can't _just_ eat those for breakfast."

 

Warren shrugged and tipped some beans straight into his mouth. "Ronnie's covering my shift tonight, so I've got the night off. Want to celebrate at the Hive?" he asked once he'd finished chewing and swallowing.

 

"Oh, I didn't know you had the night off; I made plans to have dinner with Frieda and Honey," Layla said with a frown. "I can cancel?" she offered.

 

Warren shook his head. "Nah, don't worry. Like I said, it's just another day," he said, burning away the seed of disappointment buried in his chest.

 

"We'll celebrate at the Hive this weekend, how about that?" Layla asked, kissing him.

 

"All right, that works. You still want me to pick you up after work tonight?"

 

"I'd love you to," she replied with a bright smile.

 

Seatbelts strapped them in and the bus drove off the edge of the highway. The flight up to Sky High continued without incident - or the bus falling out of the sky - and by the time they landed, Warren had eaten half the bag of chocolate-coated coffee beans.

 

"What do you want to eat?" Layla asked as they got off the bus, her bag slung over Warren's shoulder.

 

Warren swallowed his first answer ( _you_ ), then tried to focus on actual food instead. "An apple's fine, hippie."

 

Layla pressed her hand to the trunk of a nearby tree, changing the tree briefly so some apples grew above their heads, ripening them before bending the branch down.

 

Warren plucked two apples off the tree and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Thanks, hippie."

 

Layla picked the rest of the apples, created a basket from a fallen branch, and set the apples on the retaining wall in front of the school. A large leaf twisted into the word 'free' and she coerced it to join the branch basket carefully. With that done, Layla took Warren's hand and headed into the school building with him.

 

"Thanks for carrying my bag," Layla said when they reached her locker area.

 

"No problem, hippie," Warren replied, kissing her briefly, his lips sticky with apple juice.

 

Layla licked her lips as he headed to his locker, then went to her locker, smiling.

 

"You look happy this morning," Magenta said with a slight grin.

 

"Thanks, I am. How's your morning been?"

 

Magenta shrugged. "Will's started flying to school now that he's realised he can sleep in if he flies, so, y'know, the bus ride's kinda boring on my own. Larry's sitting with his girlfriend, and no one else really talks to me. I'm getting so much homework done though. Mr. Boy took a mark off my essay because I had a huge line through it after the bus dropped off the highway."

 

"Thanks, Layla!" she heard Craig call as he passed her in the hallway, an apple in hand.

 

"What's that for?" Magenta asked curiously, looking over her shoulder to where Craig and Adam had passed.

 

"Oh, I put out a basket of fruit at the front of the school. I didn't want them to go to waste," Layla replied, smiling.

 

"That's... nice," Magenta said, obviously trying not to pull a face. "Do you think there are any left? Cer kept everyone up last night, so we overslept and I didn't get breakfast."

 

"Is Cerulean all right?" Layla asked.

 

"Yeah, he's fine. He just got really excited about his school trip today and wouldn't go to sleep," Magenta said with a brief shrug.

 

"Where are they going?" Layla asked distractedly, flipping through a long box filled with packets of labelled seeds.

 

Musing that she really needed to organise it better, she had no idea why her apple tree seeds ( _Malus pumila_ ) were anywhere near the lemon seeds ( _Citrus limon_ ), Layla finally found the seed she was looking for and opened the packet carefully.

 

"His class is spending the whole day at the Super Museum out in Westville. For some reason, he's equated the Super Museum with Jetstream and the Commander themselves, and Cer's _positive_ that he's going to meet them there," Magenta said, rolling her eyes.

 

"Why don't you ask?" Layla suggested, setting a seed on her locker shelf and using a careful burst of power to make it grow.

 

"Ask what?"

 

"Ask Jetstream and the Commander to go to the museum."

 

Magenta immediately shook her head. "I couldn't do that. Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold are really busy; they wouldn't go just because I asked," she said.

 

Layla rolled her eyes, then turned and presented Magenta with a bright red apple. "Here you go. I'll see what I can do, okay?"

 

Magenta had already taken a large bite of the apple and could only frown at Layla's words.

 

"You'd better get to home group; the bell's about to ring," Layla said, gathering her books and pencil case before closing her locker.

 

Still with her mouth full, Magenta nodded and hurried to her locker to get her things for her morning classes. As Layla headed down the hallway to Mr. Medulla's classroom, she sent a text and then scrolled through her contacts before dialling a number.

 

"Good morning, this is Josie," Josie said pleasantly.

 

"Good morning, Mrs. Stronghold. This is Layla from the Mayor's office. I was wondering if you'd like a publicity opportunity today? There's a local kindergarten school going to Westville's Super Museum for the day, and I know they'd love a visit from yourself and the Commander."

 

"Oh, I'm sorry Layla, but Steve and I have a busy schedule today. We don't have the time to visit our fans."

 

"After this morning's news, that's a shame to hear. Thank you for your time," Layla said.

 

"Wait, what news?" Josie asked, looking to Steve in confusion.

 

"Oh, there was an article on _Labyrinth's_ website about the popularity of the Commander and Jetstream. Don't worry, it's probably nothing," she replied sweetly.

 

"Nothing?! We'll be at the Super Museum at eleven o'clock this morning. You'll let the media know? Including the _Labyrinth_ reporter?"

 

"Oh, of course, Mrs. Stronghold. Are you sure? I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

 

"We'll be there," Josie said, a little tersely.

 

"Thank you so much, the Maxville kindergarten students will be so happy. Have a lovely day, Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold."

 

"Bye, Layla," Steve called out cheerfully.

 

"Steve, go to the _Labyrinth's_ website - " Josie said, her voice cutting off as she hung up.

 

Layla looked at Honey's text in response, grinning a little guiltily before pocketing her phone and entering her home room.

 

_Give me a bit more notice next time, would you?!_

 

Layla sat down and listened as the bell rang, Will flying in just as the last echo finished.

 

"How kind of you to grace us with your presence, Mr. Stronghold," Mr. Medulla said, glaring.

 

"Sorry, Mr. Medulla. There was an emergency in Westville this morning. You know how it is."

 

Mr. Medulla bit back a retort that he obviously _didn't_ know how it was, or else he wouldn't be teaching Mad Science to teenagers, then started to take attendance.

 

...

 

"Why do you look so happy, hippie?" Warren asked as he sat beside her.

 

"Two reasons: one, I sent Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold to the Super Museum to play nice with five year old's this morning, and two, you're wearing the present I gave you," Layla said with a bright smile, kissing his cheek.

 

Warren shrugged and adjusted the flower around his wrist briefly. He'd opened his locker to find a small seed sitting there. A burst of power had it blossoming into a fiery red and orange flower, designed to look like the flames on his wrists. He hadn't really planned on wearing it, but then Warren figured Layla would appreciate it, and he knew that no one would dare comment on the fact that he was wearing a flower. An extra burst of power had the flower's stem growing slightly, and he curved it around his wrist cuff before gathering his things for the morning and heading to class.

 

"Dude, you've got a flower on your wrist," Craig said as he sat down with Adam.

 

"No shit."

 

"Why?"

 

"Birthday present," Warren said. "Which Super Museum did you send them to, hippie?"

 

"The one in Westville; Magenta's little brother and his class are there today."

 

"Oh, interesting," Wendy said with a grin. "She must be very grateful to you."

 

"She will be," Layla said, going quiet as a student arrived with a dollar for Warren to heat their lunch.

 

Warren was careful not to burn his flower as he powered up, handing the student's lunch back to them a moment later.

 

"Thanks, Warren."

 

"I'll be right back. If anyone wants their lunch heated, just tell 'em to wait a minute," Warren said, standing and leaving without letting anyone question why.

 

"Oh, this is going to be good," Donny said, turning around to watch.

 

Layla frowned and watched as well, curious as to what Warren was planning.

 

"Hey, Stronghold."

 

Will almost choked on his mouthful, then coughed and swallowed. "Hey, Warren."

 

"I thought Westville was your territory now?" Warren asked.

 

"Uh... Yeah, it is," Will said, his chest puffed out. "Why?" he asked.

 

"'Cause your parents went to Westville's Super Museum this morning to visit some kids."

 

"They went?" Magenta asked, her eyes wide.

 

"You knew they were going?" Will asked.

 

"Well, no... I didn't think they'd go," Magenta said.

 

Will's jaw clenched and he forced himself to set his sandwich down so he wouldn't destroy it. "I can't believe you asked them to go to the Super Museum in Westville; you know that's my territory now."

 

"Cerulean's class is there today, and you know he's a huge fan of your parents. I didn't ask anyway," Magenta said.

 

"So, what, they just decided to go on their own?"

 

"Maybe? I don't know," Magenta said, feeling as though she'd done something wrong even though she hadn't actually _done_ anything.

 

"Magenta obviously had nothing to do with it, Stronghold. Your parents are the ones that went to the Westville Super Museum, so talk to them if you're going to get all high and mighty about this," Warren said, rolling his eyes before heading back to his table where a few students were waiting with their lunch.

 

Will felt some of his anger give way to fear at the idea of confronting his parents, at confronting Jetstream and the Commander. "What do you think, guys?"

 

"I hate to say it, but I think he's right. Westville's your territory now," Ben said with a shrug.

 

Beside him, Larry nodded emphatically with a mouth full of food.

 

"It's up to you; they're your parents," Lisa said.

 

Magenta stayed silent, not wanting Will to get upset with her again.

 

When Warren finished heating the last student's lunch, Layla kissed him firmly. They both ignored Zach and Craig's gagging noises.

 

"I didn't even think of that. You're amazing," Layla said, smiling.

 

Warren shrugged. "You've got Magenta, I've got Stronghold."

 

"Speaking of, want to know what I'm doing with Lisa?" Wendy asked, grinning.

 

"Messing her hair up every time she walks outside," Adam said. "I heard her complaining about it on the bus yesterday," he added when Wendy glared at him.

 

"It's a very precise thing to do, and besides, I'm not _just_ doing that," Wendy said firmly.

 

"Are you the one that keeps stealing the pens from the school newspaper office?"

 

Wendy rolled her eyes at Ethan's question. "No, that's petty."

 

"It might be petty, but it's driving Lisa crazy," Ethan retorted, grinning.

 

"Huh. How's she feel about highlighters?" Wendy asked curiously.

 

"Guarding them with her life," Ethan said with a snicker as he ate a forkful of pasta.

 

"What about post-its?" Craig asked with a grin.

 

"Too focused on the pens to notice."

 

"We're doing Save the Citizen training tonight; I'll come by the office to see how you're going before I head there," Wendy said.

 

Ethan laughed and nodded. "All right, that's very nice of you," he said with a grin as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

 

"Uh, I think I might be stealing the pens?" Zach said with a frown.

 

"How is that a question?" Warren asked.

 

"Well, I keep Eth company in the office and I do my homework sometimes, and then... I don't think I put the pens back when I'm done."

 

"Evil mastermind, right there," Adam said, grinning.

 

Zach swallowed his answer as Jared approached their table. "Hi, Mr. Bowie."

 

"Hey, guys. Are you still good for tomorrow's language class?" he asked, looking around the table.

 

"Yeah, we're looking forward to it," Craig said.

 

"We were just discussing how some people use flash cards to learn, while others use coloured pens and paper, and some people label things around their homes in different languages, like _pomme_ for apple," Ethan said.

 

"That sounds like an interesting discussion. Do you know which one you prefer?"

 

"I think studying a language is different to normal school study, so I'd like to try a few different ways," Ethan said.

 

"Excuse me," a voice piped up beside Jared.

 

"Oh, sorry. Did you want to talk to me?" Jared asked Robin, surprised at their arrival with their tray of food.

 

"No. Am I too late?" Robin asked Warren, looking between him and Ethan.

 

"Just made it," Warren said with a grin, taking their tray and powering up.

 

"What's going on?" Jared asked curiously, surprised when Robin handed a dollar note to Ethan.

 

"Food poisoning prevention," Warren replied.

 

Jared frowned. "Do you have permission to power up outside of class?"

 

Warren handed Robin their lunch and shook his head. "No, Mr. Bowie."

 

"Thanks, Warren. Oh, and thanks for your help with my assignment, Wendy; I passed," Robin said with a bright grin.

 

"That's great to hear, Robin," Wendy said enthusiastically.

 

"Can I ask you about English later on? I'm here after school; the chess club meets this afternoon," Robin said.

 

"I didn't know we had a chess club," Zach said.

 

"It was established in the 70s, Zach. Are you the other club that has Mr. Medulla?" Ethan asked Robin.

 

They nodded in response. "Mr. Medulla came second in the state championship last year."

 

"I'm heading to the school newspaper office after school; do you have enough time before the chess club to meet me there?" Wendy offered.

 

"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks," Robin said, heading back to their table so they could eat their lunch.

 

"I'm not sure you should be powering up in the cafeteria like this, Warren," Jared said with a slight frown.

 

"Nurse Spex has had a 45 percent drop in after-lunch visits from students since Warren started doing this almost a month ago," Ethan said.

 

"Besides, there are cameras in the cafeteria; if Principal Powers had a problem with it, we would have known by now, wouldn't we?" Zach asked.

 

"Just because there are cameras, it doesn't mean they're being used," Jared said pointedly. "And how do you know about the after-lunch visits?" he asked Ethan.

 

"The next paper is all about cafeteria lunches. Ben's doing an experiment on the lasagne to find out what's in the meat they use; Lisa's looking into the freshness of the salads; I'm reporting on the before and after affects of re-heated lunches," Ethan said.

 

Across the table, Craig made a puking noise. "Remind me never to eat the lasagne."

 

"You've never picked the lasagne, dude," Adam said, rolling his eyes. "I've seen you skip that for a salad."

 

"It was a dark day," Craig said solemnly.

 

"Just for my peace of mind, would you check with Principal Powers that what you're doing is okay? It sets a precedent and you could be blamed for other students actions if they started powering up during lunch as well," Jared said.

 

"You're right, Mr. Bowie," Layla said suddenly, surprising the others.

 

"I've got like three mouthfuls left; can I see her after I've finished eating?" Warren asked.

 

"All right. I'm happy to accompany you, if you'd like?" Jared offered.

 

"I'll be fine. Ethan'll come with me; you've got more information than just percentages, right?" Warren asked, Ethan nodding firmly in response.

 

"Okay, great. I'm sure you won't get into trouble if it's been helping other students, but just in case I'm wrong, I'm apologising now ahead of time," Jared said, wincing when he realised that he could be setting Warren up for detention or some other form of punishment.

 

"It's fine, Mr. Bowie. We should have asked Principal Powers before starting," Layla said, Warren nodding with a mouthful beside her.

 

"Dude, if you get detention, that'd be the worst birthday present ever," Craig said, snickering.

 

Jared felt even worse when Craig's words registered. "You can leave it 'til tomorrow. I don't want you getting into trouble on your birthday."

 

"It's better to get it over and done with; today's just another day," Warren said with a shrug. He ate his last mouthful then stood up. "Ready, Eth?"

 

"If we can stop by my locker on the way, I've got a more detailed analysis," Ethan said, standing and brushing off his shirt before leaving with Warren.

 

"See you after lunch, Mr. Bowie. English for Heroes, right?" Layla asked, smiling.

 

"Right. I, uh, should probably eat. Let me know what happens, okay? I'll feel like shit if he gets in trouble," Jared said, then winced. "Uh, don't tell anyone I swore."

 

"Won't tell a fucking soul," Craig said, laughing when both Adam and Layla nudged him sharply, Wendy snorting a laugh across from him.

 

Jared had to leave before he started laughing. As he lined up to get his food, his gaze couldn't help but wander to the cafeteria doors where Warren and Ethan had left.

 

...

 

"I'm surprised it's taken you so long to ask for permission to power up. It didn't occur to you with the daily reminders about _not_ powering up on school grounds?" Principal Powers asked, raising her eyebrow.

 

Warren shrugged. "The announcements kinda fade into the background, to be honest."

 

"If they weren't daily reminders, people would probably take more notice of them," Ethan added beside him. "I've been monitoring how many people actually listen, and apart from the freshmen and a few sophomores, most of the older students hardly even register them."

 

"How have you been monitoring them?" Principal Powers asked, surprised that he had been doing that and that her reminders weren't being listened to.

 

"Talking to them while the PA announcement's going. Freshmen and a few sophomores get distracted and listen; the rest of the sophomores, juniors, and seniors just keep talking. It's not a great sample size or the best conditions, unfortunately. As the results aren't conclusive or properly tested, it's more anecdotal than analytical data, but it seems to be where they results heading," Ethan said. "I also have statistics from Nurse Spex about the number of students she's seen both before and after Warren started heating food at lunchtime," he said, standing and handing a piece of paper to Principal Powers.

 

As he sat back down, Ethan surreptitiously wiped his hand on the underside of Principal Powers' desk, hoping she wouldn't notice the anxiety-formed sweat.

 

Principal Powers read the data and nodded briefly. "Very well. After reviewing this data, Warren, you have permission to power up in the cafeteria but _only_ to heat lunches."

 

"Yes, Principal Powers," Warren said.

 

"I'll also have a word with the lunch staff to ensure the food is being correctly cooked; we can't have students getting ill this often," she said, looking to the statistics Ethan had provided from Nurse Spex. "Ethan, would you mind continuing to provide me with these statistics? I would like to know whether my students are at a health risk, and Nurse Spex... doesn't always see these kinds of things," she said, trying to be diplomatic in her wording.

 

"Of course, Principal Powers. Would you like a weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly report?" Ethan asked brightly.

 

"Bi-monthly should be suitable for now. I wouldn't want to take you away from your studies or extra-curricular activities. Thank you," Principal Powers added. "Enjoy the rest of your lunch."

 

"Thank you, you too," Ethan said, leaving with Warren.

 

"You're really enthusiastic about doing statistics, huh?" Warren asked when they were in the hallway and out of earshot.

 

Ethan smiled. "I like collating data. Besides, if I'm providing this information to Principal Powers every two weeks, then I have access to her office."

 

"You really think she's going to leave you alone in there?"

 

Ethan shook his head. "Of course not. But that doesn't mean I can't leave things behind."

 

"Huh? What're you going on about, Popsicle?" Warren asked, frowning.

 

Ethan grinned. "You'll see this afternoon at practise."

 

...

 

"Layla, a word before you sit down?" Jared asked.

 

"Yes, Mr. Bowie?"

 

"I was wondering if everything was all right with Warren? He didn't get into trouble, did he?"

 

Layla smiled and shook her head. "He's fine, Mr. Bowie. Principal Powers gave him permission to power up at lunch," she said, purposely not referring to the cafeteria restrictions, just in case.

 

"Oh, that's a relief. I've been feeling awful; though, to be honest, I wasn't sure if it was my emotions or the food," Jared added.

 

Layla almost laughed, then realised he was serious. "What did you eat?"

 

"Uh, the pizza," Jared replied, his stomach gurgling.

 

Layla's eyes widened and she stepped back. "I'll get Nurse Spex. You should get to a bathroom, Mr. Bowie."

 

Jared's face turned a sickly shade of green and he ran from the classroom, almost knocking Will over.

 

"What's wrong with Mr. Bowie?" Will asked, looking around the class and not getting an answer from his classmates who were just as confused as he was. Seeing Layla standing by Jared's desk, Will frowned at her. "What happened?"

 

"He ate the pizza for lunch," Layla said.

 

A noise of understanding and sympathy went through the class; everyone found out _quickly_ to avoid the pizza, no matter how tempting it looked.

 

"I'll get Nurse Spex," Will said, flying out of the classroom without waiting for a response.

 

Craig turned into Jared, adjusted his tie, and went to the front of the class. "Class has started, so please take your seat, Miss Williams," he said, waving her towards her desk.

 

"There is a lesson plan on Mr. Bowie's desk, if you really want to teach," Layla said as she sat down.

 

"Nah, that's too much work. So, who bought the hardcover edition?" Craig asked, grinning and waggling his eyebrows.

 

"Nurse Spex is looking after Mr. Bowie now, Mr. Stronghold; there's no need for you to be out of class - Mr. Bowie?" Principal Powers said, frowning as she looked around the class. Her frown faded a moment later and she crossed her arms. "Return to your seat, Mr. Forge."

 

"I was gonna teach off the lesson plan," Craig said, shifting back to his normal self and hurrying to his desk, glad that he wouldn't be getting detention.

 

"As Mr. Bowie has become ill, I will be teaching you this afternoon," Principal Powers said, guiding Will back into the classroom and heading over to Jared's desk.

 

While Principal Powers' back was turned, Layla sent a message through the group chat to let the others know that Jared had eaten the pizza at lunch and Principal Powers would be teaching English that day.

 

"Excuse me, Principal Powers? Ah, someone's just... landed," Ron Wilson, bus driver, said, looking a little anxious and sweaty after running around the building trying to find the principal.

 

"Do you know who it is? Do we need to go into lockdown?" she asked, already shimmering.

 

Ron Wilson, bus driver, took off his hat and glanced down the corridor. "It's the super-health inspector. Surprise inspection."

 

Principal Powers paled, but nodded firmly. "I'll be right out. Thank you," she said. Looking around the classroom, Principal Powers considered a few students before making her decision. "Miss Williams, would you mind teaching the class, please? The lesson plan is right here," she added, holding out the piece of paper.

 

Surprised, Layla nodded. "Not a problem, Principal Powers," she said, standing to take the lesson plan.

 

Layla _knew_ that if she hadn't saved the bus, she would never have been offered this. It would have gone to Will or Larry or Adam.

 

"I'm trusting all of you, so do _not_ disappoint me. I will be checking on the class periodically," Principal Powers said before she left the classroom.

 

Everyone was silent for a long moment, unsure what to do while Principal Powers was still in earshot.

 

"Has anyone actually started reading Lustful's autobiography?" Layla asked curiously, setting the lesson plan aside.

 

"Uh. I've got to go... bathroom," Will said, cheeks bright red as he flew out of the classroom without waiting for a response or a hall pass.

 

"I did. I thought it was interesting that she didn't get her powers until she was almost sixteen," Adam said. "Being older might've been the reason she was so powerful 'cause it took so long for her powers to come."

 

"Heh, _come_ ; nice wording there, Adam. Anyone else _not_ surprised that Lustful's book's a best-seller?"

 

Adam rolled his eyes at Ben's contribution, while beside him, Craig glared at Ben fiercely. "How about you contribute something meaningful, Benny-boy?" he snapped.

 

Ben sneered back at him. "What, like your thing earlier? Yeah, right, like that was _meaningful_ , carrot-top," he said, a few others laughing.

 

"Why the fuck are _you_ laughing, Larry? You're a redhead too, you idiot," Craig snapped, glaring at him and feeling a vindictive pleasure when Larry stopped laughing abruptly. "Unlike you, _Benny-boy_ , I wasn't being an asshole when someone else was saying something intelligent! Just because Adam's got more intelligence in one dreadlock than you ever will in your lifetime, it doesn't mean you should be a prick to him."

 

"Yeah, and since when do you know when _someone else_ is being as asshole? Oh, it takes one to know one, right?" Ben sneered.

 

A flash of movement outside caught a few students' attention and they paled, shrinking back in their seats and as far away from the window as possible.

 

" _What?!_ " Ben snapped at Lisa, glaring down at her as she tugged on his sleeve for the tenth time in as many seconds.

 

Lisa indicated to the windows that were being covered in vines, drawing the rest of the class' attention there as well. The only reason most people hadn't noticed was because the classroom lights were on and they hadn't seen the vines' movement while they were so focused on Craig and Ben's argument. Ben paled, freezing as his fight or flight response kicked in and he was stuck like a deer in headlights.

 

"If everyone could please sit down, we can continue this discussion in a calm manner," Layla said, her voice as sharp as thorns.

 

Craig immediately sat down, while Ben had to be forcibly tugged down onto his seat by Lisa.

 

"Thank you. I think you raise an interesting point, Adam; does anyone else have any ideas about why Lustful might have been so powerful?" Layla asked, the vines disappearing from the window in an instant.

 

The sudden disappearance was more terrifying than the slow appearance of the vines, and the difference in light made a few people wonder how they'd missed it at all.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Principal Powers was pleasantly surprised to see the English for Heroes sophomore class so well-behaved and actually discussing the autobiography they'd chosen. It wasn't _quite_ what the lesson plan had stated for the day, but it was better than a full-blown meltdown or complete disregard of the class itself.

 

Satisfied that she'd made the right decision in choosing Layla, Principal Powers hurried back to the cafeteria where the health inspector was making their rounds and frowning far too much for her liking.

 

...

 

End of the fifty-eighth chapter.


	59. Chapter 59

"Did you see Adam's video?" Wendy asked Ethan, grinning.

 

"I haven't had a chance to watch it yet," he replied, typing up the last of his statistics for his article; with Mr. Bowie being sick, he now had a large enough sample size to add a whole section just for staff.

 

"Do you have it in your schedule, or should I force you to have a break so you can watch it?" Wendy offered.

 

"It's on my schedule. In about three minutes," Ethan replied. "Robin should be here soon; the chess club starts in fifteen minutes," he said, continuing to type and - to Wendy's amazement - **not** typing what he was saying.

 

"Speaking of, why didn't you join?"

 

Ethan saved his work and then spun around on his chair to face Wendy. "I beat Mr. Medulla in the state championship last year," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

 

"What?"

 

"He couldn't believe it either," Ethan said, grinning. "I don't play often, but when I do, I play against my mother. She wins six times out of ten."

 

"Whoa. Why didn't she go in the state championship then? How far did you get?"

 

Ethan shrugged. "Work commitments. I competed against the winners from two other states before I lost. It was mentally exhausting, so I decided not to compete again this year."

 

"So Mr. Medulla has a shot at the championship title?" Wendy asked with a grin.

 

Ethan laughed and shook his head. "Not a chance; my mother decided to compete instead."

 

"Awesome. When's it start?"

 

"Mid-May. Are you interested in competing?"

 

"I've got to concentrate on assignments and finals; I'll probably be brain-dead by May. But I'd love to watch. It's a great strategy game, and for that kind of insight, I can handle watching people stare at a chess board for a few hours," Wendy said with a grin.

 

There was a knock at the door and Robin opened it when Ethan called out. "Hey, Wendy. I brought a few friends, is that okay?" they asked, several freshmen standing behind them awkwardly.

 

At his desk, Ethan plugged his earbuds into his phone to watch Adam's video of Layla's display of her powers and Ben and Craig's argument.

 

"Sure. Do you all need help with English?" Wendy asked, heading over to a table that was relatively clear.

 

"Yeah. This is Rita, Justina, Todd, and Terry," Robin introduced.

 

"Nice to meet you. What are your powers?" Wendy asked curiously.

 

"I can breathe underwater," Todd said.

 

"Flight manipulation," Rita said. "I can make other people fly," she added in explanation when Wendy frowned.

 

"Telepathy with animals," Justina said.

 

"Technopath," Terry said, waving over at Ethan who grinned and waved back.

 

"Yeah. It's an argumentative essay, which is understandable for the most part, but we're unsure about the actual topic," Robin said, setting their bag down and taking out a folder, flipping through several sheets before pulling one out and handing it to Wendy.

 

Reading the topic for herself, Wendy could understand their confusion.

 

_Do supervillains who commit heinous crimes deserve a harsher penalty than citizens who commit similar crimes?_

 

"Geez, this should be a senior's topic," Wendy muttered. "All right, what are you thinking so far?"

 

"I think the wording of the citizens' crimes is vague; _similar_ doesn't mean the _same_ crimes as the supervillains," Robin said.

 

"They're just referring to the citizens' crimes as _similar_ because there's no way they can do the exact same thing as supervillains, otherwise they'd be supers," Todd argued.

 

"That doesn't mean they can't do the same crimes," Terry said.

 

"But then it would say the _same_ , not _similar_ ," Justina retorted.

 

"You guys should start a debate team," Wendy said, grinning. "All right, how about we start off by finding crimes that both supers and citizens have committed that are the same, then look at the similar ones, and you can start from there?"

 

"What are you doing in here?"

 

Wendy looked over at Lisa and Ben. "Hello to you too, Lisa. Robin asked for help with their English assignment and brought some friends along who were also having difficulties. We're not in your way, are we?" she asked.

 

Wendy knew that Ben and Lisa's desks were both on the other side of the office and this table wasn't used until they were actually publishing and determining the school paper's layout.

 

"We were actually going to have a meeting and use that table," Lisa replied.

 

"Our meeting isn't scheduled until next week. Has the time changed?" Ethan asked.

 

Lisa's jaw clenched. "I must have got the time mixed up. Why are you here, and not in a classroom?" she asked Wendy.

 

"I wanted to talk to Ethan about tomorrow's weather report," Wendy said.

 

Ben frowned. "What about it?"

 

"The citizens' weather report is very different from the one provided by the Weather and Environmental Trends," she replied.

 

"How did you get the one from WET? They don't send it to just _anyone_ ," Ben said.

 

Wendy rolled her eyes. "No shit, Benny-boy. Do you actually _think_ before you speak, or do you like the taste of your foot in your own mouth?"

 

Snickering from the freshmen had Ben reddening, realising far too late that Wendy was a weather super and fit the WET requirements to receive their updates and reports.

 

"Why don't you get started on that article we talked about, Ben? I'd like to talk to Wendy about this weather report," Lisa said, gently pushing her boyfriend towards his desk.

 

Wendy rolled her eyes. "I said I wanted to talk to Ethan, not you."

 

"Ethan's busy with other work," Lisa said.

 

"I've finished, actually. Wendy, we've got our extra curricular session starting soon. Chess club's almost started too," Ethan said, nodding to the freshmen.

 

They looked torn between staying to watch the two older supers fight - verbally or with their powers, it didn't matter - but then Robin nodded and ushered their friends outside.

 

Lisa took the assignment paper from Wendy and headed into the corridor. "Uh, Miss? You left your assignment behind," she called.

 

Robin stopped short and turned. "I prefer they/them pronouns. Thanks for your help, Wendy," they called, taking the paper from Lisa before hurrying after their friends.

 

"What the hell are pronouns?" Ben asked Lisa, frowning after the freshmen.

 

"I'll explain it later," Lisa said, heading back into the office, looking around with all three eyes to determine if any more of her pens had been stolen. All of her highlighters were still sitting on her desk and the ten pens she had in the mug on her desk were still there as well.

 

"I've emailed my report to you, Lisa. There's also a printed copy on your desk, and I've got three backups if anything happens to the original file. Let me know if I need to change anything," Ethan said, leaving with Wendy. "Was there a report from WET?" he asked curiously.

 

"Yeah, they've got heavy rainfall scheduled for tomorrow; citizens are only saying light showers," Wendy said with a grin.

 

Ethan shook his head. "Lisa and Ben are going to drive themselves up the wall trying to find out WET's weather report, and it's just a different type of rain."

 

Wendy waited until they were in the gym to start laughing - checking that Nurse Spex was asleep first - and beside her, Ethan shook his head.

 

"I hope you had a productive afternoon?" Layla asked with a smile.

 

"Yep. I stole every blue and yellow post-it pad I could find," Wendy said, opening her bag to show the evidence.

 

"Why not all of them?" Zach asked curiously.

 

"Too obvious. This is subtle enough to not be noticed for a while, but when it is noticed, it'll drive Lisa insane," Wendy replied. "So, what's tonight's training?" she asked, looking around the gym to find everyone powered up but not really _doing_ anything.

 

"Stamina," Adam replied, dripping acid onto the large truck beneath him.

 

"Are we going to get into trouble for that?" Ethan asked, nodding to the large pools of acid that were forming on the truck.

 

The acid had yet to sink through, but Adam's acid was stronger than anything that citizens could produce. It was only a matter of time before the truck's aluminium, nickel, and copper acid-resistive materials were destroyed by his super acid.

 

"Coach Boomer's okayed it; he's going to get another truck from the scrapyard," Adam replied.

 

"I heard him talking to Will; I think he's planning on getting a heavier truck to help with his reps," Craig said, turning into Will and flexing his muscles, accidentally flexing too hard and tearing his shirt. "Aw, shit."

 

"That was your own fault, dude," Warren said, his snort of amusement heard over the crackling of flames around his body.

 

Craig pulled several faces at him, then turned into Warren and lit his body as well.

 

Warren shook his head. "You need better control over the flames; you're going to burn out too fast like that."

 

Figuring that Warren would have more experience, Craig nodded and focused on lessening the flames. "Better?"

 

"Not bad. Change the flames to red rather than yellow. It's got enough heat to intimidate, but you'll last longer," Warren said, changing his own flames to demonstrate.

 

"Yours were blue," Craig pointed out.

 

"That's because I've got full control over my powers; you don't," he replied.

 

"How do I get full control then?"

 

"It's different for everyone," Donny called out.

 

"That's a shitty answer, Donny, and you know it. Do you know how I get full control?" Craig asked. "How come Warren's already got full control and we don't?"

 

Donny rolled his eyes as he walked over to Craig. "You're asking too many questions and trust me, you're so _not_ prepared for the answer."

 

"What are you doing?" Craig asked warily.

 

"I'm practising my powers," Donny replied simply, then splayed his hand just shy of Craig's flames and focused.

 

The flames around Craig disappeared and as he shifted back to his own form, Craig blinked and shook his head in confusion. "What were we talking out?"

 

"Dude, that was harsh," Adam said to Donny as he headed back to Nurse Spex.

 

"It could have been worse," Donny said with a shrug.

 

"You going to do your show and tell now, Popsicle?" Warren called, grateful for the change in conversation.

 

"What show and tell?" Zach asked curiously, looking between his boyfriend and Warren.

 

Ethan nodded with a grin, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "You'll need to see it up close," he said.

 

Warren immediately powered down and walked over, the others curious enough to follow his lead, all of them creating a semi-circle around Ethan and waiting.

 

"You'll need to be closer than that," Ethan said, motioning them forward before starting to roll up his shirt sleeves. "All right, ready?"

 

"Hell yes," Donny said, grinning as he realised what Ethan was about to do.

 

Ethan concentrated for a moment and, ever so slowly, water drops began to form on his revealed forearm.

 

"Wait for it," Donny murmured when the others simply looked confused.

 

The water droplets slid from Ethan's arm down onto the gym floor and he knelt by them, touching the individual droplets. As he did so, they reformed into their original items: a spare set of glasses, three USBs, a water bottle, a blender, and two ties.

 

"Anita was looking for the blender on the weekend. How long've you been carrying that around?" Zach asked incredulously.

 

"About a week," Ethan said with a shrug.

 

"Why a blender?" Layla asked.

 

"Why _any_ of this?" Craig asked.

 

"They're mostly innocent items that won't be noticed if I was suddenly carrying them around. The blender was a mistake, but then I decided to test how long I could carry it."

 

"How did you keep them inside of yourself while we were in Principal Powers' office?" Warren asked curiously.

 

"The power repressing beams stopped me from melting down, but these were already inside of my body and changed by my powers, so I couldn't change them back from water droplets," Ethan said.

 

"I don't get it?" Zach said.

 

"The water droplets were already changed by my power before I went into Principal Powers' office. The power repressing beams mean I can't melt down or melt other objects, but things that are already inside me can still be drawn out. The only drawback is they'll stay as water droplets, not their original form."

 

"So... you can leave water drops in Principal Powers' office?" Adam clarified, Ethan nodding in response.

 

" _How_ though? The power repressing beams _repress powers_ , and drawing them back out is still part of your power, isn't it?" Craig asked with a frown.

 

"It took a lot of effort, but I've managed to work out how to draw them back out forcefully through sweat."

 

"Eww."

 

Ethan shrugged. "I have a water-based power; it's either that or crying. I could probably do that, but then it would result in tissues soaking the items up. I can produce sweat in my palms and wipe it on the underside of her desk."

 

"Still eww," Craig said, scrunching his nose up.

 

"That's amazing, Eth. Did you leave anything behind today?" Zach asked with a grin.

 

Ethan grinned back at him. "Yes, I definitely did," he said, drawing out some more water droplets and reforming a receiver radio and the accompanying batteries.

 

Clicking the batteries into place, Ethan switched the radio on and tuned it, adjusting the two antennas carefully.

 

"Can I do it?" Donny asked, already reaching for his phone.

 

Ethan nodded. Donny laughed as he unlocked his phone and pressed a few buttons to dial a number. Donny moved closer to Nurse Spex as the phone rang to lessen the radio's feedback.

 

"Good afternoon, Sky High, this is Principal Powers," they heard through Ethan's radio.

 

Donny pressed his hand over his phone's speaker so his friends' sounds of disbelief wouldn't be heard.

 

"Hello?" Principal Powers asked. Sighing heavily when there was no answer, she ended the call, her voice coming through the radio as she muttered about prank callers.

 

"It's a little distorted because the microphone's still technically a drop of water, but it's clear enough to understand," Ethan said, grinning.

 

"Super Jesus, Ethan. I can't believe you did that!" Wendy said, her eyes wide.

 

"I can't believe it worked," Craig said, laughing incredulously.

 

"Do you have any idea what you've done, Ethan?" Layla exclaimed, hugging him firmly.

 

"I've got some idea," he said with a grin, adjusting his crooked glasses.

 

"Do you have any idea what people would pay to have this information?" Adam asked.

 

"That, I don't know," Ethan admitted as Layla pulled away. "You two okay?" he asked Zach and Warren, who had yet to say anything.

 

"I'm just waiting for everyone to finish so I can make out with you," Zach said, grinning and winking at him.

 

Ethan coughed slightly, feeling his cheeks darken. "Okay. What about you, Warren?"

 

Warren shook his head. "I'm kicking myself that I didn't think of it myself; I thought I was already thinking a step ahead, but you? You're thinking three steps ahead, aren't you?"

 

"Well, yes. It's like chess; you need to outmanoeuvre your opponent by thinking about what they're going to do before _they_ even know what they're going to do. This way, we don't need to think, we can just find out. Of course, that's not to say Principal Powers is technically our enemy or opponent, but it works to our advantage for the moment," Ethan said with a shrug.

 

"You guys discuss how we're getting Ethan into the Stronghold's secret sanctum during Will's birthday party; I'm gonna make out with my super-smart boyfriend," Zach said, practically pulling Ethan away with him.

 

"Wait, what?" Craig said, looking from Zach and Ethan to the rest of their group. "We have one test and now we're going straight for the Strongholds? That's a helluva jump, guys."

 

"Will's birthday is next week; that doesn't allow for a lot of time to get into their Secret Sanctum," Wendy added.

 

"Besides, they did a full security upgrade after that party last year," Adam said. "I could get past it, but it'll take time and that means Eth'll have to do my assignments again."

 

"All right, calm down everyone," Layla said, seeing that they were starting to freak out. "We don't need to get into their Sanctum, just the house itself."

 

"The water pipes?" Warren guessed.

 

"I was thinking their citizen clothes and getting them to fight a villain that same day. They'll have to change into their super outfits, and Ethan could leave the water drops behind," Layla said.

 

"What if they start wearing their super suit under their clothes like Will does?" Donny asked.

 

"The Commander won't; his suit chafes if he wears it for too long," Layla said.

 

Donny shook his head at the childhood memory of the Commander complaining loudly to Jetstream as they arrived home before realising that Layla was in the lounge room, wild-eyed and somewhat traumatised.

 

"How are we meant to see either the Commander or Jetstream, especially on the night of Will's birthday? We can't crash his party if we're meant to be nice, right?" Wendy pointed out.

 

Zach and Ethan returned to the group, both looking thoroughly kissed with swollen lips and mussed hair and their clothes wrinkled. Neither one looked ashamed about it either.

 

Craig coughed loudly. "Good evening, everyone; I'd like to propose the latest revolutionary problem solver: me," he said, shifting to the Commander's form. "The latest model bypasses DNA security, biometrics, _and_ voice security," he said in Jetstream's voice. "Hell, I can walk in there with Ethan and a giant-sized Slurpee cup and we can steal all their shit."

 

Wendy laughed loud enough that Nurse Spex mumbled in her sleep. When she was sure the nurse was asleep once more, Wendy grinned at Craig. "You've gotta steal something subtle. Like... one of their socks, y'know, so they can never find a matching pair."

 

Adam rolled his eyes and looked up to the gym ceiling. "I'm so damn glad I'm working with professional evil masterminds," he muttered, then went back to the truck to continue destroying it with his acid.

 

"You can't call me immature anymore, Wendy. That was _my level_ of immaturity, right there," Zach said. He sniffled and wiped away an imaginary tear. "I'm so proud."

 

"You're kidding me, right? If stealing a few pens and post-its is going to drive Lisa nuts, imagine what it's going to do to _Jetstream, Mrs. I need to be perfect?_ "

 

"Can we determine what security measures they actually have before we start making plans to steal their shit?" Warren asked.

 

"I can check the Council's contract work for anything that might've been installed professionally. If Jetstream or the Commander installed anything personally, it won't be listed though," Layla added.

 

"I'll work out security; you guys work out what we're actually going to do _besides_ leave a microphone and steal some socks," Adam called out from the truck. "Fucking _socks_."

 

His mutter set them off laughing, and Warren snickered against Layla's neck, his breath warm against her skin. By the time they finally settled down, Nurse Spex's alarm went off and she woke up with a start, calling out for them to finish for the night.

 

As they left the gym, there was a large crashing sound as Adam's acid ate through the last of the truck and it collapsed in a mess of metal, plastic, and bits of rubber.

 

...

 

"Happy birthday, Warren," Dave said brightly as soon as he walked in that night.

 

"Thanks," Warren replied. He wondered who had told Dave that it was his birthday: his mother or Layla. "How's your evening been so far?"

 

"Nothing interesting, but there's a game on tonight, so that's fine by me," Dave replied with a grin.

 

"Right," Warren said, not sure what sport he was referring to and not caring enough to ask. He almost sighed in relief when Layla came out of the elevators. "Well, have a good night, Dave. Enjoy the game," he said over his shoulder, guiding Layla outside and hardly waiting for her to call out goodbye to Dave.

 

"Hello to you too, Warren. What was all that about?" Layla asked curiously, adjusting her bag.

 

"I think he wanted me to discuss sports with him. I don't do _sports_ , hippie."

 

Layla laughed and pressed a kiss to his lips. "If you get stuck again, just ask who's playing and who his favourite team is; that'll give you at least five minutes to think of an excuse to get away."

 

Warren shook his head and took her hand as they headed to the bus stop. The bus arrived within a minute of their own arrival and they boarded, sitting together halfway down the bus.

 

"When would you like to celebrate your birthday with me at the Hive this weekend?" Layla asked, turning slightly to sign the words in ASL as well.

 

"I've got a double shift on Sunday, but I'm free Saturday morning after our ASL and study group," Warren replied with both his voice and hands.

 

"It's a date," Layla replied, smiling brightly.

 

Warren frowned. "We haven't done that, have we?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"We haven't exactly gone on a date. Y'know, a proper one. Dinner and a movie, that sort of thing," Warren said. " _The Paper Lantern_ doesn't count."

 

Layla tilted her head slightly. "Well, I count it as a date. Besides, I'm happy with the dates we have at the Hive, or going shopping for plates," she teased with a smile. "Do you want to go on a _proper date?_ " Layla asked, her smile slipping.

 

"Not unless you want to, or you feel like I'm failing you as a boyfriend or something," Warren said with a shrug.

 

"If I felt that you were... failing me in any way, shape, or form, I'd tell you. You're not failing me, by the way," Layla reassured, kissing him firmly. She pulled away with a slight frown. "Am I failing you?"

 

Warren shook his head adamantly. "Never."

 

"Never say never," Layla said, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "You would tell me, wouldn't you? I'd hate that we stopped communicating over of some trivial thing or because we felt like we _couldn't_ bring it up with each other."

 

"I'd tell you, hippie. Promise," he added, kissing her. "Now, are you going to tell me what my third birthday present is? The anticipation's killing me."

 

Layla perked up at his question, her eyes bright as she leaned in close, her lips brushing against his. "Good."

 

"You're evil, you know that, hippie? Evil," Warren groaned.

 

Layla simply smiled and pressed the button for the bus to stop.

 

"Why's my mum's car here? And Honey's van, too?" Warren asked with a frown as they walked up to Frieda's home.

 

"I don't know," Layla lied sweetly. She opened the front door and turned on the foyer light.

 

" _Surprise!_ "

 

Warren stopped at the doorway, stunned to see their friends and family there, all wearing ridiculous party hats with streamers on them and blowing party blowers like their lives depended on it. "What the hell is this?"

 

"Language, dear," Frieda said, though she was smiling too broadly to really be taken seriously.

 

"Welcome to your surprise birthday party. Come on in; we've got cake," Honey said with a grin.

 

Warren stepped through the doorway cautiously, as though expecting them all to attack him. "Mum? What... I don't get it," he admitted to her.

 

Nina smiled a little sadly, then forced herself to smile brightly again, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Your friends wanted to surprise you. It's been twelve years, so I thought it was time you had an actual birthday party and celebrated _you_ again. Happy birthday, baby boy."

 

Still feeling confused and overwhelmed - he understood the what and the why, could guess the how, but that didn't mean Warren truly _understood_ this - he nodded and stepped back. He let his friends and their families gather around him to congratulate him and hug him and pat him on the back, all of them seeming ridiculously happy with him for no other reason than he had survived another year and was now seventeen years old.

 

"All right, everyone. Time to give the birthday boy some space. Head into the lounge room for cake and presents, and let Warren put the school bags down," Honey called out.

 

After the suffocating feeling and overwhelming noise, it was gone within a minute, and Warren rocked on his feet at the sudden loss. "What the hell was that?" he asked, looking between Layla and Honey, the last two remaining.

 

"Love," Honey replied with a simple shrug. "We'll expect you down in three minutes. Breathe, relax, and be prepared to be amazed by your cake and presents. Actually... Hmm, no, I won't spoil it. Go on, now."

 

Layla smiled and held out a hand. Warren took it like a lifeline and followed her upstairs to put their bags away. Layla changed into a nice shirt and braided her hair as Warren rummaged in his duffel bag for something without a sauce stain on the front.

 

"I don't _like_ surprises, hippie," Warren said, smoothing out the fabric of his new shirt.

 

Layla sighed and played with the hem of her skirt. "I know. Ethan and Zach were so excited about the idea, and then Craig and Adam heard about it. I had to stop them from renting out a jumping castle."

 

"Seriously?"

 

She nodded. "I had to promise them we'd get one for the barbecue instead."

 

Warren sighed, then he tugged Layla up from her seat on the bed and kissed her lightly. "Thank you for this, hippie."

 

"You don't mind?"

 

"It's a surprise party; telling me would kind of defeat the purpose," he said with a slight shrug. "Besides, that means we don't have to celebrate with everyone else on the weekend. It can just be the two of us," Warren said, kissing her again, deeper this time.

 

Layla licked her lips as they pulled away, sighing contently. "Sounds good to me. Now, let's go downstairs so everyone can spoil you. You'll get your last present later tonight," she promised, patting his chest.

 

Warren let Layla lead him back down to the lounge room where everyone was waiting. He was handed present after present after present and soon lost track of whom had given him what. There were several book vouchers, a utility belt, a USB filled with "totally legal downloads of his favourite movies", a glass coffee drip that used a bunsen burner to heat the coffee, a bag of coffee grounds for said drip, a photo album of photos from his childhood to the present day (the latter taken far more reluctantly than Nina would had liked), yellow and blue post-its, and a pair of hand-knitted socks from Frieda.

 

By the time everything was unwrapped and Warren had thanked everyone for their kind and thoughtful gifts, a three-tier cake was set up on the coffee table, complete with seventeen candles. Everyone sang happy birthday to him, Craig and Zach finishing with an awfully off-key rendition of 'he's a jolly good fellow' and forgetting half of the words, Heidi laughing as they both ended up trailing off in the darkness.

 

Frieda turned the lights back in time for everyone to see Warren wiping at his tears.

 

"Are you crying? The singing wasn't that bad, was it?" Zach asked.

 

"Is it because there's no jumping castle? We can totally go and hire one right now," Craig offered.

 

"Dudes, shut up," Adam said, rolling his eyes.

 

"I'm... well, not fine. It's..." Warren trailed off and shook his head. "This is the best birthday party I've ever had," he admitted with a watery smile.

 

"Well, I don't know how we're going to top this next year, then," Frieda said, Heidi giggling on the lounge beside her.

 

"We'll definitely need the jumping castle," Zach said to Craig, who agreed with a serious nod.

 

"If you'll cut the cake, I'll start handing it around. You don't want it to get too late or people will be inclined to stay the night," Honey warned Warren with a slight grin and wink.

 

Taking the offered cake knife, Warren started cutting the cake carefully, one tier at a time.

 

"I call dibs on the top tier to myself," Craig called out.

 

"You'll get what you're given," Honey replied.

 

"Aww, but I was..."

 

"I know what you were going to do, Craig. It would not have ended well," she said.

 

"I don't want to know," Sarah said, wincing. "Can you cut a piece for me to take home for Jared, please? He got food poisoning and when he got home he said, and I quote: _I would rather die than talk to people tonight_. So, y'know, he's a total Prince Charming."

 

Honey grinned and headed to the kitchen to box up the last of the cake.

 

"The very construct of Prince Charming is demeaning to both men and women," Layla said firmly. "It tells men that 'charm' is the only requirement for women to fall in love with them, and it practically tells women that there's one perfect man out there for them, which destroys any sense of humanity a person can have. If they have to be perfect all the time, then they're no longer human and might as well be a robot.

 

"Besides, the actual fairy tales they're based on were meant to be instructional stories for children about morals and right and wrong, not about romance. And don't even get me started on women needing to be saved by Prince Charming," she said, rolling her eyes.

 

A few people blinked at Layla's passionate rant, but her friends just grinned.

 

"There's, what, twenty princesses, but only one Prince Charming. So that means he's either being unfaithful or has nineteen brothers," Ethan pointed out.

 

"What about a family lineage; it could've been grandfather, father, son, that sort of thing?" Craig suggested.

 

"Time travel; there's nothing to say that they're all princesses at the same time. They could be spread out across the years and Prince Charming could be under a curse to rescue them all. In fact, isn't one of the princesses in the future?" Zach asked, signing to Heidi, who nodded in response.

 

"Everyone knows time travel isn't real," Craig said.

 

"You have superpowers, Craig," Cara said, rolling her eyes at her brother.

 

"What are your powers, Craig? I haven't seen them," Anita said with a slight frown. "If you don't mind - wow," she stopped abruptly as Craig turned into her exact twin. "That's... interesting," Anita said, still stunned.

 

Craig changed back to his own body, then grinned at Heidi and switched to her body. Heidi laughed at the sight, signing at Zach.

 

"Double trouble? Oh, no. Craig, turn back before Heids gets you involved in one of her schemes," Zach said, poking Craig with his foot.

 

Craig turned back to himself and looked between the siblings. "What kind of schemes would those be?" he asked, grinning broadly.

 

Heidi started to sign in response.

 

"Wait, too fast. Was that a plunger? And a stapler?" Craig asked, completely confused.

 

Zach groaned and buried his head in his hands, even as Donny laughed across from him.

 

"I _really_ don't want to know," Sarah said, shaking her head. "I'd better go home so I can check on Jared. He says happy birthday, by the way. Oh, and don't forget the foreign language class tomorrow."

 

"Thanks, Sarah. I'm looking forward to it, and I'm pretty sure Craig and Ethan wouldn't let me forget," Warren said with a grin.

 

"Depending on the weather, one of my reporters will be visiting Sky High tomorrow," Honey added as she headed to the foyer with Sarah, prompting others to start getting ready to leave as well.

 

"Why?" Adam asked.

 

"Protest over the UN's treatment of supers. Sign the petition," Honey replied.

 

"Oh, Jared's going to love that," Sarah said with a bright grin, tugging her coat on.

 

"Yes, he will," Honey said.

 

"You sound very certain about that," Anita said as she offered Zach and Heidi their jackets.

 

"Just a lucky guess," Honey replied. "Yes, Richard, there's enough for everyone. One each," she added with smiling.

 

Richard promptly grabbed five containers of leftover cake that Honey had set aside for them all.

 

"Curtis will be here shortly, Adam. Take some cake for your parents," Honey added, nodding to him.

 

"Thanks, Honey," Adam said, grabbing three.

 

Within a matter of seconds, all of the containers of cake were gone.

 

"See you tomorrow, Warren. Have a nice night," Nina said with a smile, kissing her son's cheek.

 

"Thanks, Mum. Enjoy the house to yourself," he said, grinning at her.

 

"Oh, I won't be alone. Ready, Frieda?" she asked.

 

"Almost, dear," Frieda replied, buttoning the last button of her coat. "There, all done. Now, you two be good," she said sternly, then smiled brightly and kissed Warren's cheek and hugged Layla firmly.

 

"What's going on?" Warren asked, confused.

 

"I thought you'd like to have the house to yourselves. Consider it another birthday present," Frieda said with a smile.

 

Somewhere in the background, Craig wolf-whistled.

 

"I'm going to burn everything you love," Warren hissed at him.

 

Craig snorted. "Dude, that's way too many people, and you'd have to go through me first. Aw, don't cry, Elijah. Warren's just being a big ol' meanie," he cooed, settling his nephew and rubbing his back gently.

 

"Come on, it's way past their bedtime," Cara said, nudging Craig with her hip and nodding to the car, Elliot asleep in her arms.

 

"See you tomorrow," Craig called as loudly as he dared, waving before getting in his sister's car.

 

Curtis arrived a few moments later, calling out _hello_ to everyone and happy birthday to Warren before he left with Adam.

 

Ten minutes later, Warren and Layla were alone.

 

...

 

End of the fifty-ninth chapter.


	60. Chapter 60

Ten minutes later, Warren and Layla were alone.

 

"Did you know Frieda was going to do this?" Warren asked, watching as Layla closed and locked the front door.

 

"Yes. I asked her, in fact," Layla added.

 

"Why?" Warren asked.

 

"I wanted to give you your last present alone," she said. "I was also being selfish; I wanted you to myself for the rest of the night," Layla said with a smile, tugging Warren close to kiss him.

 

"Are you my present?" he asked against her lips, his hands warm on hips.

 

Layla laughed and kissed him once more before pulling away. "Not exactly. Come on, it's upstairs," she said, taking his hand and heading up the stairs to her room.

 

Warren let Layla guide him to her chair, watching as she sent a vine under her bed to retrieve something. It returned a moment later, curled around something too small for him to see properly. Layla took the item from her vine, hidden in her hand, and she smiled as she covered Warren's eyes with her hand.

 

"I could've closed my eyes, hippie."

 

"I know, but this is more fun," Layla said against his ear, her lips curved into a smile.

 

Warren licked his lips, anticipating another kiss, but then the chair was spun around abruptly and Layla took her hand off his face. Shaking his head at the sudden disorientation and light, Warren looked at his present.

 

The item must have been a USB because he was facing Layla's computer and a document was open on the screen in front of him.

 

"What's this?" Warren asked, scrolling and skim-reading through the document.

 

"Every idea and plan I've thought of," Layla said. "It's not set in stone, of course, and some might not even happen, but... it's all there. You'll never be surprised, or find something out later than the others; you have everything right there."

 

At her words, Warren stopped scrolling. He went back to the top of the document and started to read properly.

 

Layla tried not to let her nerves get the best of her; Warren's face was showing nothing.

 

_Did he like it, did he hate it? Did he think it was a stupid present, or that she was silly for giving it to him as a present? Did he want her body rather than her mind?_

 

"I can feel you stressing, hippie. Go get ready for bed, I'll tell you what I think when I'm done, okay?" Warren said, taking her hand to press a kiss to her palm, his lips burning.

 

Feeling somewhat better, Layla headed to the ensuite to brush her teeth and hopefully occupy herself until Warren was ready.

 

As Warren read over Layla's plans, he couldn't help but feel impressed. She had thought of things he hadn't even considered yet: plans for the future, plans that involved him heavily, others that relied on their friends, small manipulative things to continue to discredit and destroy Magenta and Will's relationship with each other and those around them, plans for when things went wrong, as well as plans for if - when - they went right. Some of it was beyond anything they could achieve, some of it could have been completed that week if they wanted, while some more was a year or longer away.

 

Warren knew that by Layla gifting this to him, showing him _everything_ she'd thought and planned for, showed just how much she trusted him. It was more than a simple birthday present. Layla could have kept it all to herself, only told him what was necessary as each day and plan arrived, but instead, she was trusting him with all of this information. With this, they would truly be equals from this point on.

 

If anything ever went wrong between them, if he somehow decided to be vanilla, Warren would know every single plan she'd ever devised. He could completely ruin her with this information, and he knew that Layla was giving him an out; if something happened to make him change his mind about the _permanent_ path he was on, he had enough details of her plans and ideas to exchange it for safety, for a lesser sentencing. With this information, just as he'd promised his mother, Warren knew that he wouldn't be in Maxville's Super Penitentiary for long.

 

His hands shook at the realisation and Warren focused on his breathing, inhaling and exhaling in careful, measured motions to calm himself again. Warren knew that no matter what, he was never going to betray Layla or her trust in him.

 

"Ready now?" Layla asked from the ensuite doorway, looking hesitant.

 

Warren nodded and he felt her relief on his wrist as she walked over to him.

 

"What do you think? It was either this or an oxygen tank," she added with a grin.

 

"An oxygen tank?" Warren echoed, surprised.

 

Layla shrugged. "Ethan had the right idea; it's lightweight and would fuel your power."

 

Warren laughed and shook his head. "I think I'd prefer this, hippie. Some of the plans are really detailed; I mean, some are literally impossible, but... thank you," he said, tugging her down to kiss her. "It's an amazing present."

 

Layla smiled brightly. "I'm glad you like it. I should've waited to give it to you tomorrow, since I'm dying to know what you think in more detail," she said with a sigh. "But I also want to have my way with you and I think that wins."

 

" _What?!_ " Warren asked, almost choking.

 

She grinned and kissed him again. "Go get ready for bed. I'll put the USB in your bag."

 

Warren didn't exactly run to the ensuite but it was a near thing. Layla just laughed when he returned to the bedroom a moment later to get his toothbrush.

 

Layla curled a leaf around the USB, ensuring that the leaf was strong enough that it wouldn't be damaged by anything in Warren's bag and would also stop would-be thieves from destroying it. When she was satisfied that only she and Warren would be able to open the leaf to get to the USB inside Layla put it away in his school bag as promised.

 

"What exactly do you mean by having your way with me?" Warren asked as he returned from the ensuite. "It hasn't been six months yet."

 

"Counting down, are you?" Layla asked with a grin.

 

"Not to the day, but... yeah, mostly. Teenage hormones and a vivid imagination'll do that," Warren admitted, putting his toothbrush away before walking over to the bed.

 

"Don't need much imagination," Layla murmured, looking over Warren's bare chest and tight black briefs.

 

"So how are you going to have your way with me?"

 

Layla smiled brightly and held her hand out for Warren to take. He took her hand and allowed himself to be pulled down onto the mattress. Layla straddled him and kissed his breath away. "I get to kiss and touch you, but you don't," she murmured.

 

"You're using me? On my birthday?" Warren added, trying hard not to smile when Layla's expression fell. Tugging her down so she was pressed against his body, Warren kissed her hard, lips and teeth and desire burning. "I didn't mind last time, I don't mind now. Use me, hippie."

 

Too distracted by his kiss, the first half of Warren's words didn't register in her mind. Layla smiled brightly when she heard ' _use me, hippie_ ' and proceeded to do exactly that.

 

Her vines crawled up the length of Warren's body, wrapping around his wrists and binding them to Layla's intricately designed metal headboard. Layla sat up and back, her legs bracketing his thighs. She ran her fingertips along the slight bumps of his abs, watching his face as she made her way up his stomach, chest, caressing his cheek gently.

 

A small amount of concentration had her hands lighting up, the flames dying a second later but the heat remaining. Pressing her hands to Warren's body, Layla grinned when he moaned as her warmth spread throughout him, warming the vines in his body as well.

 

She used a vine to tie her hair back then kissed him eagerly, Warren straining against the vines to touch her, to hold her against him. Layla smiled against his lips, then tilted his head back gently so she could bite and mark his neck, moving down to the curve of his shoulder, pressing more biting kisses to his skin.

 

" _Fuck_ ," Warren hissed when her mouth closed over his nipple, her teeth tugging.

 

Layla grinned, he could _feel it_ , then let go of his nipple to lick lightly before moving to his other nipple to do the same. This time, however, she squeezed and thumbed against his free nipple, Warren's toes curling against the mattress. Layla finally stopped teasing his nipples, sitting back to view her handiwork. Warren could feel the heat of her pressing against his skin and had to bite his lip to stop from begging for more, for everything.

 

"Are you okay?" Layla asked softly, pressing her thumb against his lip so he'd release it from his teeth.

 

Warren looked up at her with dark eyes, then licked her thumb and sucked it into his mouth, curling his tongue around it immediately.

 

"Oh," Layla said faintly, her cheeks turning red, the blush continuing down her neck and spreading across her chest like a rose unfurling at the first sign of sunlight.

 

Warren could become obsessed with that blush, could watch it spread, could spend _hours_ teasing it further along Layla's pale skin until she was red from tip to toe. He sucked harder on her thumb, feeling the scratch of her nail against his tongue and revelling in the sudden burst of pain as Layla curved her thumb harder.

 

Hitching his hips so Layla would fall forward, Warren grinned at her as she braced herself against his shoulder to stop from falling completely. Layla smiled wickedly, tugging her thumb out of his mouth and wiping the wetness on his plump lip. Then she braced herself on both of his shoulders, her fingers curving against his skin until her nails created small crescent marks.

 

Warren kept his knees bent so Layla was pressed firmly against his crotch, and he could feel the heat of her even more intimately against his hard cock. She obviously noticed what he was doing, glancing down to where their bodies were pressed together, but she didn't move away. No, instead, his fiery tease of a girlfriend started to move her hips against him, ever so slowly grinding down against his crotch until that heat was all he could feel, her nails still digging into his shoulders.

 

The noise that Warren made wasn't anything he'd heard before. It didn't even sound human, but then he was coming hard between them, his briefs wrecked in an instant.

 

Breathing heavily, Warren watched Layla, who was staring down at him in a mix of shock and pleasure with wide eyes and a smile.

 

"Fuck, Layla. Let me out of the vines. Let me touch you," Warren said, his voice wrecked.

 

Layla licked her lips, pressed a kiss to his mouth, then reached up to undo the vines. Warren let her guide his arms down, the short duration not enough to give him complete pins and needles but enough to create a tingling sensation. Flexing his fingers, Warren responded to Layla's kiss, his groan swallowed as she guided one of his hands between her legs. She was wearing knickers, but they were soaked through. Warren turned them over abruptly, his fingers curling and pressing the fabric between her labia firmly.

 

"Can I?" he asked, his breath warm against her shoulder.

 

"Yes. _Please_ ," Layla added breathlessly.

 

Warren moved her knickers aside, returning his fingers to their position and sliding into the wet heat of her pussy, one finger tight inside of her. He pressed his thumb against her clit, holding it there for the moment as he carefully worked a second finger inside Layla. Taking his time to feel her, to tease her as she'd teased him, to learn every inch of her. Beneath him, Layla's eyes were closed tightly, her lip caught between her teeth, and that beautiful blush creeping across her torso to her shoulders.

 

 _Fuck, he loved her so much_.

 

Warren bit down on her shoulder as he slid a third finger into her, Layla's fingers curved against his shoulder blades. She scratched her nails down his back as he worked three fingers in and out of her at an unhurried pace, the pad of his thumb still hot and firm against her clit. When he could see her blush through her flimsy shirt, Warren curved his fingers and started to move and flick his thumb against her clit, watching as her blush deepened and her body started to writhe beneath him, desperate for release.

 

"Come on, Layla. Cum for me," Warren said breathlessly.

 

Another curve of his fingers and his nail against her clit, and Layla was orgasming beneath him, her body taut like a string and her scream ringing in his ears. His cock twitched at the sight of her like this, just for him, _because_ of him. He ignored his own response for the moment, waiting until Layla's pussy stopped clenching around his fingers before sliding out of her. Warren made sure she was watching, her eyes focused on him clearly, before putting his fingers in his mouth to lick them clean.

 

Layla sat up and pulled Warren to her, kissing him and sharing her taste between them, her tongue licking against his.

 

"Fuck. Let me get us cleaned up," Warren murmured, wincing when he realised the ejaculate in his briefs was starting to dry and would be painful if he waited any longer.

 

"Hurry back, I want to cuddle," Layla said with a bright smile.

 

Warren kissed her once more before leaving for the ensuite. Waiting for the water to warm so he could wet a cloth, Warren saw that his reflection was covered in bite marks and the beginning of bruises. His wrists had two loops of red around them from the vines, and as Warren turned slightly, he could see the long scratches down his back from Layla's nails.

 

"You're lucky I don't bruise easy, hippie," Warren called out with a grin.

 

Layla was in the bathroom a moment later, blinking in the bright light, and saw what she'd done to Warren. Looking at her own reflection, Layla saw the hickey on her neck and tugged her shorts down to see Warren's handprint on her hip.

 

Warren stripped out of his briefs and cleaned himself up, Layla's cheeks turning red as she saw what he was doing. Taking her cloth from the basin, Layla wrung it out.

 

"Let me."

 

"Hmm?" Layla asked.

 

Warren grinned at her reflection. "I'll clean you up. I promise to be gentle," he added with a wink when he saw her blush spreading.

 

"Okay."

 

Warren set his cloth in the basin and took the damp one from Layla's limp grasp. "Shorts and underwear off, hippie."

 

Layla bit her lip, but pushed her shorts and knickers down, her fingers clenched in the hem of her singlet. Warren kissed her mouth gently, sat her on the basin and spread her legs with a warm hand. Layla's breath caught at the cold bench beneath her contrasting to Warren's warm hands. He kissed her shoulder, then swiped at her wet thighs with the clean warm cloth.

 

"Not too hot?" Warren asked, Layla shaking her head in response.

 

Continuing to clean her gently, Warren kept his gaze on Layla as she watched him intently. With a final swipe, Warren put the cloth in the basin with his own to rinse them out properly. Grinning to himself, Warren wrapped his arms around Layla to do this, her laughter in his ear as she hugged him in return. Wringing out the cloths, Warren grew a vine to let them dry out overnight, and he pulled back slightly to kiss Layla's mouth lightly.

 

"Ready for bed now, hippie?"

 

Smiling at him brightly, Layla nodded. "I call dibs on small spoon," she said.

 

"We might need underwear first, or I might wake up fucking your thighs."

 

Layla's mouth dropped to an O and Warren lifted her easily, turning off the bathroom light before carrying her back to bed. He dropped her inelegantly, Layla letting out a surprised cry which Warren ignored in favour of getting underwear for them out of her dresser and his bag.

 

When they were both clothed, Warren climbed over Layla to get into bed, tucking her against his chest and wrapping an arm around her torso.

 

"Love you, Warren. Happy birthday," Layla added, pressing a kiss to his hand.

 

"Thank you. Love you, Layla," Warren replied, kissing her shoulder before settling down to sleep.

 

...

 

A few hours ago, across Maxville, Will was having dinner with his parents. He could see how exhausted his mother was, and even his father looked like he was fighting off a headache, but he needed to know. Will couldn't stop the words of his friends going through his head: _isn't Westville your territory? Why did they go to the Super Museum without you? Why did they go when Magenta was so certain that she_ ** _hadn't_** _asked them to go?_

 

"So... How was your day?" Will asked, poking at his dinner with his fork.

 

 _There you go, a simple question that was in no way confrontational. Just a kind, caring son asking about his parents' day_.

 

"Busy," Steve replied, touching his temples as though he could still hear the screaming of thirty children echoing in his mind.

 

"Three house showings, a deal for a paddock on the outskirts of Maxville, and we stopped by the Super Museum this morning. Your father and I spent about an hour entertaining thirty children and the media," Josie replied with more detail when she saw that Will actually seemed interested in their answer.

 

"Oh. Which Super Museum?" Will asked, hoping his voice didn't go up an octave like he thought it had.

 

"The one in Westville. Magenta's younger brother was there, in fact," Josie replied with a smile.

 

"Oh, I didn't know that," Will lied. "The Super Museum in Westville? You went without me?"

 

Steve frowned. "You were at school, Will."

 

"Westville's my territory, though. Isn't it?" he asked, looking between his parents.

 

"Yes, but you still need to get your education. Taking time off to visit fans isn't acceptable; you'd miss too much of your classwork," Josie said.

 

"I can catch up," Will replied.

 

Josie set her son with a hard stare, the kind she used when villains weren't following the proper script and _knew better_. "After your mid-term results, we both know that's not true. Your grades have slipped since you took on the mantle of Airborne, Will. You need to be better than the rest of your class, better than the rest of your school. You are a public-facing super now, Will, so you need to be smarter."

 

"I am smart!"

 

Josie bit back her response, knowing it would be useless and was probably a result of her exhaustion and impending migraine. Her silence, however, was damning enough.

 

"You don't think I'm smart?" Will asked incredulously.

 

"Of course I do. You're smart, but we know that you don't always _apply_ your smarts," Josie said, hoping her genuine tone would be enough to pacify her son. "If you had a sidekick, you could..."

 

"I don't _want_ a sidekick. I can do this on my own."

 

"I thought the same thing when I was your age, Will," Steve said. "Then I got a sidekick after graduation. Saved my life once. Maybe twice. Sidekicks are useful, especially when they're loyal. They'll do whatever you say," he added, pointing his fork for emphasis.

 

Will frowned. Mr. Boy didn't seem _useful_ , though Will did like the idea of someone doing whatever he said without arguing. These days, it felt like a rarity for _anyone_ to do what he wanted these days. (Will ignored his upcoming birthday party which he'd asked for and Josie had organised within an hour.) "How do I get a sidekick though? I only have permission to leave class for Westville emergencies; I can't get that permission for another student, can I?"

 

"As we're busy with your birthday party for the rest of the week, how about I discuss it with Principal Powers on Monday?" Josie offered, glad that the whole Super Museum thing seemed to be behind them.

 

Will thought about it and then nodded. "All right. Thanks, Mum."

 

"You're welcome."

 

"Can you let me know if you go to the Super Museum again? I want to promote Airborne more in Westville; the last citizen I saved called me Airhorn," Will said with a frown.

 

Josie immediately kicked Steve so he wouldn't laugh. "Of course, Will. We'll let you know if we go to the Super Museum again," she promised, silently promising herself to not go to the museum again during school hours.

 

...

 

Layla woke up in Warren's arms, her body warm and slightly sweaty from their shared body heat. She licked her lips as she moved to stretch her body, feeling the ache from their activities the night before. Her vines had taken some of the larger and noticeable bruises, but the one on her hip was still there, and Layla poked it curiously, a brief ache blossoming in response.

 

After showering and getting ready for school, Layla headed down to the kitchen to organise breakfast and set the coffee machine for Warren. As she ate her toast, Layla thought back over the night before, the memories warming her and passing the time pleasantly.

 

Warren came into the kitchen when Layla was rinsing her plate off, showered but not completely awake. He took the cup of coffee from the machine, sitting at the kitchen bench and sipping slowly.

 

Layla looked at Warren, trying to determine if he'd kept his bruises or let his power heal them. She remembered the sight of her nail marks on his back, the biting bruises on his nipples, the intense look between them as he'd cleaned her as gently as promised.

 

Warren opened his eyes to look over to her, taking in the light blush on her cheeks. "Think of something else, would you, hippie? I just wanked in the shower; I can't get it up that fast."

 

Layla blushed at his words. "Sorry."

 

"Nothing to be sorry about; I'd just prefer not to be walking around with a hard-on for the rest of the day," Warren murmured.

 

"Which bruises did you keep?" Layla asked, unable to help herself.

 

Warren's mouth twitched up into a slow grin. "You'll see later."

 

"You're loving this, aren't you?" she asked, pouting.

 

Warren held out a hand for her. Layla took it with a slight frown, letting him pull her close, his legs bracketing her hips. "Absolutely," he said, the taste of coffee against her lips.

 

Layla groaned and buried her head against the curve of his shoulder and neck. She was tempted to bite him, but refrained, relaxing as Warren stroked up and down her spine with warm fingertips.

 

"I've still got the travel coffee mug here, right? I'll take it to school; I might actually wake up before 10 o'clock," Warren said, tugging Layla back to press a kiss to her lips, the taste of coffee lingering.

 

Layla licked her lips and then headed to the cupboard to get Warren's travel mug and fill it for him. Warren put two pieces of bread in the toaster, taking out peanut butter and jam from the fridge.

 

"I'll get our bags; be right back," Layla said, kissing his shoulder before heading upstairs.

 

Unable to stop her thoughts from drifting back to the night before when she was in her room again, Layla let her vines take on the emotion so Warren wouldn't be affected. As she did, Layla focused on the memories themselves without the emotion attached, and realised the words she'd missed the night before: _I didn't mind last time, I don't mind now. Use me, hippie_.

 

_When had she used Warren before?_

 

"Thanks, hippie," Warren said when she sat their bags on the stool beside him. "Everything all right?" he asked, seeing that she was distracted.

 

Layla shook her head. "Last night, you said that you didn't mind me using you last time. What did you mean?"

 

Warren swallowed the bite of toast and washed it down with some coffee. "Last year. You using me to make Will jealous."

 

Layla opened and closed her mouth a few times.

 

"You didn't realise?" Warren asked, already knowing the answer.

 

Layla shook her head. "I didn't... I didn't think of it as _using_ you. I just... was just trying to get what I wanted."

 

Warren snorted and set down his coffee mug. "Yeah, you getting what you wanted, screw everyone else and their own feelings."

 

"No, I..." Layla trailed off, biting her lip. " _Shit_."

 

"You're lucky I like it when pretty redheads use me," Warren said with a grin, taking another bite of his toast.

 

Layla's frown gave way to a grin of her own. "I'll let Craig know."

 

Warren almost choked on his toast, laughing.

 

When he'd calmed himself and stopped choking, Layla draped herself over his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, Warren. I didn't think about you or your feelings; I shouldn't have used you like that."

 

"It's all right, hippie. It was manipulative and wrong, yeah, but I still went along with it."

 

"Why did you, if it was manipulative and wrong?"

 

"Did I mention the pretty redhead?" Warren replied with a grin, finishing the last of his toast. "Fucking with Will was a bonus, really."

 

Layla laughed and kissed him again.

 

"Speaking of fucking with Will, I think we can adapt one of your ideas," he said.

 

"Ooh, what are you thinking?" Layla asked.

 

Feeling the rush of desire from his wrist that was just as strong as Layla's desire from her thoughts of the night before, Warren grinned and detailed his plan.

 

...

 

"Super Jesus, how many times does this thing need to update?" Will muttered under his breath, clicking the appropriate buttons before shoving his phone in his pocket.

 

Heading into home group, Will sat in his seat next to Larry. He barely refrained from waving at Mr. Medulla cheekily since he was a full five minutes early for the first time that week. _It was only Wednesday, but it was better than being five minutes late, right?_

 

"What did your parents say?" Ben asked behind him, sitting with Lisa.

 

Realising that saying that his parents had agreed to take him the next time they went to the Super Museum wouldn't be enough, Will knew that he didn't want to admit it was really to boost their popularity because Ben and Lisa would want to know why it wasn't at an all-time high in the first place. Will shrugged. "They did it as a favour to Magenta, since they knew her brother was going to be there."

 

"Wow. That's really nice of them," Lisa said.

 

"Yeah. They must like Magenta," Larry said with a nod.

 

"Yeah? They do," Will agreed quickly. "You guys excited for the party?" he asked, hoping it would be as easy to redirect his friends' attention as it was to redirect his parents.

 

"Yeah, I'm gonna whoop your butts at laser tag," Ben said, grinning.

 

Will almost sighed in relief as the conversation continued without needing his input, not even annoyed when Mr. Medulla practically snapped at them to _be quiet_.

 

...

 

Magenta agreed to the update on her phone, quickly hiding it in her pencil case before Mr. Boy noticed. While Mr. Boy was usually docile and easily intimidated, he _hated_ it when students were on their phones during class. He didn't get the memo that home group _wasn't_ class. Behind her, Zach stifled a laugh at something, and Magenta looked over her shoulder to make sure he hadn't seen her using her phone in home group.

 

Zach was reading something in a book that was propped up to hide most of his desk, which meant that he was probably hiding his phone as well. In the desk next to him, Ethan reached out and poked Zach's shoulder, setting off more of Zach's laughter, the noise unsuccessfully muffled behind his hands.

 

"Mr. Brighton, what's so funny?" Mr. Boy asked, trying to sound stern and failing.

 

"N-nothing, Mr. - _hic_ \- Mr. Boy," Zach said between hiccups.

 

Mr. Boy's frown deepened, then Ethan raised his hand, drawing Mr. Boy's attention away from his boyfriend. It was such an obvious ploy that Magenta wondered how Mr. Boy missed it.

 

"Mr. Boy, have you ever been to Japan?" Ethan asked. "I read about the Commander defeating the Ninety Ninjas, and I thought that happened when you were still his Hero Support?"

 

Despite his usual eagerness to talk about his adventures and travels with the Commander, Mr. Boy shook his head abruptly. "It was a long time ago. And look at that, we're out of time for home group," he said, leaving without waiting for a response, even though there were another five minutes left before classes started.

 

Curious but not willing to ask Ethan - he was friends with Warren Peace, and Will Stronghold wasn't friends with Ethan or Warren anymore - most of the Hero Support took out their hidden phones to search for information themselves.

 

Magenta's phone had finished updating and she looked along with her classmates. Eventually, they found the video for the opening of Japan's _Super Super!_ ride and heard the Commander reprimanding and firing Mr. Boy as his sidekick.

 

Magenta shifted on her chair uncomfortably at the video, hoping that whichever Hero she ended up with wouldn't drop her so publicly. If she ended up with Will, she wondered if he'd fire her in the same way. Being Will's sidekick was obviously a dream, since Magenta knew he could have his pick of **_any_** sidekick, current or even graduated already. He'd probably go with someone blonde and pretty like that reporter, or smarter than Magenta and with bigger...

 

Her phone buzzed in her hand and Magenta looked at the message, warmth spreading through her chest when she realised it was from Will.

 

_Date this Friday at the Paper Lantern, 8pm?_

 

Magenta smiled at Will's usual to-the-point text messaging style. His birthday party was on Saturday, but he must have wanted a date with just the two of them to celebrate together.

 

 _He was sweet when he wanted to be_ , Magenta thought with a smile as she replied with 'yes!' and a smiley face.

 

Behind her, Zach started laughing again and this time, Ethan didn't stop him. The bell rang and everyone left for their first class. Zach curved his arm around Ethan's shoulders as they went to class together, Ethan talking about the day's weather report.

 

...

 

End of the sixtieth chapter.


	61. Chapter 61

Storm clouds rolled over and through Sky High, keeping the students inside of the cafeteria. The danger of being hit by lightning brought up rumours of previous students who _had_ been hit by lightning, their bodies turned to ash in an instant. It was ridiculous, of course, since lightning didn't turn people to ash anymore than someone getting an electric shock through a faulty power socket would. Wendy rolled her eyes at the whispered stories as she walked through the cafeteria towards her friends' table.

 

She was late since she'd gone outside for a walk in the storm, ignoring the other students staring from the windows, and pretending she couldn't hear several teachers calling out to her, their voices lost in the wind.

 

"What did you do to the weather?" Lisa demanded, stopping in front of Wendy.

 

"Nothing," Wendy replied, frowning.

 

"The WET weather reports only said heavy rainfall, not a storm."

 

Wendy brushed her wet hair back and rung out her braid. "Weather changes. Besides, it **is** raining heavily on Maxville. We're the only ones who are dealing with the storm," she added, being quite generous in her explanation, really. "How did you get a WET weather report?"

 

Lisa's jaw clenched. "I have my sources," she said firmly.

 

"Good for you. Can I go eat now?" Wendy asked, trying hard not to sneer when she saw some nearby freshmen watching the exchange curiously.

 

"Stop the storm, Wendy," Lisa said, stopping Wendy from passing by.

 

"Why would I do that?" Wendy asked, rolling her eyes.

 

"Because you're the one who created it! The storm could hurt people."

 

"Everyone's inside, the storm isn't reaching the ground. They can see a bit of lightning in the clouds, that's it. The rest of it's just rain, which was already predicted for the citizens. I'm already making sure the storm won't hit us, if that's what you're really worried about," Wendy said, moving to step around Lisa.

 

Lisa blocked her again. "Stop the storm, Wendy, or I'll make you," she said firmly, blinking her third eye open.

 

A few of the surrounding students could suddenly see how tired Wendy was, as though all of her energy and concentration was on something beyond school, and far beyond Lisa.

 

A bolt of lightning came close to the floating plot of Sky High, a roll of thunder immediately behind it, a few students crying out in fear at the sudden light and noise.

 

"Are you threatening me, Lisa?" Wendy asked.

 

"Stop. The. Storm."

 

Wendy looked ready to throw Lisa out into the storm herself, but then she stopped suddenly and turned to face the window, one arm thrown out in front of her body, her hand splayed. A bolt of lightning stopped a metre from the lawn outside of Sky High, redirecting back out into the atmosphere instead, a few students' screams echoing.

 

"It's not my storm, Lisa. I already told you I'm making sure the storm won't hit us, so _stop distracting me_ ," Wendy snapped, shoving past Lisa to finally go sit down.

 

Applause from the freshmen had Lisa's cheeks burning, and she went back to Ben and her friends, ignoring the glares from other supers who had seen Wendy's work and exhaustion.

 

Donny hid a grin as his girlfriend sat beside him and started to eat her lunch with gusto.

 

"Want me to warm you up?" Warren offered, handing a junior's lunch back to them.

 

"Yeah, lemme finish eating first," Wendy said, shovelling another mouthful in as she kept half of her attention on the storm outside.

 

"Do you know who the storm belongs to?" Ethan asked curiously.

 

"Natural," Wendy said around a mouthful. "I'm keeping a barrier around the school so we won't be hit. Trying, at least," she added as another flash of lightning went by.

 

"Good work," Zach said, impressed.

 

"Thanks. It should be gone by the end of lunch. I'm gonna be wiped," Wendy said, sounding tired, her hand trembling as she reached for her pudding.

 

"Wendy?" Robin said from the end of the table.

 

"Hey, Robin. Can we leave English for later?" she asked apologetically.

 

"Oh, yeah, it's not about that. We brought towels for you," they replied, nodding to their friends, each with an armful of towels.

 

"Where'd you get the towels from?" Ethan asked.

 

"Gym," Terry replied, passing his towels down.

 

In a matter of seconds, Wendy was covered from head to toe in different-coloured towels.

 

"Thanks," she said with a smile, her gaze going behind them as another thunderbolt rushed past the school.

 

"That was really nice of you," Layla said, smiling at the freshmen.

 

Robin shrugged. "We figured she was freezing since she was trembling before."

 

"Lisa just had her head too far up her ass to notice," Justina said.

 

Warren almost choked on his water, laughter bubbling out as Layla grinned beside him.

 

"Don't let them hear you say that; we wouldn't want you to get into trouble," Layla said, her voice quiet but firm.

 

"I don't care. It was wrong of her to accuse Wendy of creating the storm just because she's a weather-super," Justina said, glaring over in Lisa's direction. She was too short to be seen over the other students, so her glare wasn't as effective as she would have liked.

 

"Maybe I should make her fly up off her seat for a while," Rita murmured. "It wouldn't last long or be very high, but it'd be something."

 

"We're not allowed to use our powers outside of class, remember?" Todd said nervously.

 

"You'll get into trouble, Rita. And Justina, calm down; Wendy can fight her own fights. We've been to Save the Citizen, remember?" Robin pointed out, Rita nodding, and Justina looking disappointed. "We'll leave you to your lunch. Thanks for keeping the storm away from us, Wendy," they said with a bright smile, leading their friends back to their table.

 

"Such cute rebels," Craig said with a snicker.

 

Adam elbowed Craig firmly. "Don't be a dick."

 

"Still need to be warmed up, Wendy?" Warren asked.

 

"Yeah, please. The towels dried me off, but they're damp now," she admitted now that the freshmen were gone.

 

Warren held out a hand across the table, taking Wendy's hand. A burst of power had heat flowing through her body, the towels even drying in patches.

 

"Whoa, thanks. Can I get that in pocket size?" Wendy asked, pulling the towels off with Donny's help.

 

Warren rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Adam, want my pudding?" he offered, realising he was the only one who'd grabbed a chocolate pudding.

 

"Hell, yes."

 

...

 

"Sign the petition?"

 

"What are you petitioning?" Layla asked curiously, stopping with her friends on the way back to their lockers.

 

"The UN's decision to hire one super to represent all of the supers in the world. Not that Babel's not great, but every country should have their own super representative," Katherine said.

 

"We're sending the petition to the UN once we get enough signatures," Ritchie added.

 

"We'll sign," Adam said.

 

"You got any more paper, or just the one sheet so far?" Craig asked.

 

"Uh, yeah, I've got some pens too," Ritchie said, using a burst of power to bring a cup of pens out of his bag.

 

"Nice control. You've been practising?" Warren asked, grinning as he remembered their Save the Citizen match.

 

Ritchie nodded. "Yeah. Not much time or privacy outside of school, but I'm trying," he said.

 

Jewel smiled and handed a clipboard to Ethan, gloves protecting him from her power.

 

"Why don't you come to our practise sessions? We've got the gym four afternoons a week. Tonight's out because of the language class Mr. Bowie's running, but come by tomorrow," Warren offered.

 

"You're going to the language class, too?" Grant asked, handing a pen to Zach.

 

"Yes. Are all of you going?" Layla asked as she signed the petition before passing the pen on to Wendy.

 

"I can't," Katherine said. "Cheerleader practice. It's easier without Penny being there and taking over everything," she admitted.

 

"Ah. Who are you cheering for?" Wendy asked.

 

"Wildcats; they're a citizen's high school basketball team," Katherine replied. "We don't exactly have a sports team here. It wouldn't compete with Save the Citizen anyway," she said, knowing that it was useless to try.

 

Citizens' sports were _boring_ compared to Save the Citizen, even Katherine knew that.

 

"Well, good luck to the team. I hope you have fun cheering for them," Layla said with a smile.

 

"Oh, we've got pamphlets. There's a few UN reps on Twitter; they're all listed, so we included their phone numbers," Jewel said.

 

"If you want to call and let them know you're not happy about the lack of super representation on the UN, that'd really help the cause," Grant added, offering them each a pamphlet.

 

"Thanks. Good luck getting more signatures," Wendy said.

 

"Don't be late for class," Ethan called over his shoulder as they left.

 

Realising that the bell was about to ring, the four supers packed up as fast as possible and rushed to their lockers.

 

"Did you just invite all of them to our training?" Donny asked Warren.

 

"Yes. I figured there had to be a reason Honey told us to sign the petition. I doubt the petition itself will work, so it just seemed right when Ritchie started talking about training," he replied.

 

"Good thinking," Layla said, kissing his cheek. "If it goes wrong, then you have more people to practise on, Donny," she added with a bright smile.

 

"True," he admitted. "See you at Mr. Bowie's class later," Donny said, heading off with Wendy.

 

"We've both got Mad Science next," Warren said, shaking his head. "See you later, hippie," he said, kissing her briefly before leaving for his locker.

 

Layla smiled and headed to her locker, ignoring the fact that their friends were making loud gagging noises behind her.

 

...

 

"Good afternoon," Jared said as he entered the classroom, smiling at the small group of gathered students. "There's a few more than I expected, that's great! How are you all doing?" he asked, looking around the class. "Come on, I won't bite. Genuine question here."

 

"Fine, Mr. Bowie," Ethan said.

 

"I'm hungry," Craig said, grinning.

 

Jared laughed. "Great. How about the rest of you?"

 

"I'm kind of tired?" Jewel said.

 

"All right, understandable."

 

Encouraged by his interest and responses, the others started to respond more truthfully: tired, sore, hungry, cramping, worried, anxious, calm, happy, exhausted, getting better, drained, guilty, good, scared, worn out, alive.

 

"Excellent. That's a great start," Jared said, smiling at everyone broadly.

 

"How are you, Mr. Bowie?" Adam asked curiously.

 

"Fucking terrified," he replied promptly.

 

"What, why?" was the common response and Jared held up his hands to quiet their noise.

 

"First, I'm still somewhat new to teaching, so it's fucking terrifying standing here and teaching you as though I know all the answers, when I sure as hell don't. Secondly, I'm still on probation as a teacher, so if this extra-curricular class doesn't go well, I might as well kiss my job goodbye. Thirdly... I'm hungry, which affects my emotions, too. Anyone know a good food delivery place?" he asked, looking around the class.

 

"We can't get food delivered here, Mr. Bowie. But I can get some fruit and vegetables, if you don't mind those?" Layla suggested.

 

"Yeah, awesome. Don't overdo it," he added, almost as an afterthought.

 

Pulling out a small packet of seeds from her pocket, Layla tipped them onto the desk and grew several large bunches of grapes and apples, and a lone carrot in the middle.

 

"Dibs on the carrot," Craig called as Layla handed an apple to Jared.

 

"Thanks, Lay," Zach said, taking an apple for himself.

 

In a matter of seconds, the fruit had disappeared. Grant sighed when the apple turned back into a seed, and placed it back on the desk.

 

"Thanks anyway," he said with a slight shrug.

 

"Wait. Let me try something else," Layla offered, opening the classroom window.

 

Outside, a tree grew and shifted to an apple tree. Concentrating, Layla watched the apple grow and ripen, waiting for the right moment to retract her power, the apple falling down into her waiting hand. Closing the window, Layla offered the apple to Grant. He took it, obviously not expecting much, and looked surprised when it stayed as an apple in his hand.

 

"What'd you do?" Craig asked around a mouthful of carrot.

 

"Stopped growing it with my power. It's as natural as a power-made apple can be," Layla said. "It might be bitter, sorry," she added.

 

Grant bit into the apple and shook his head. "S'great. Fanks," he said with a broad apple-filled grin.

 

"All right. Any languages you guys want to learn? It's easier if you're actually interested in the language."

 

"All of them," Ethan said promptly.

 

Jared nodded. "Okay, ambitious, but we might get there eventually. If we narrow it down now, it's best to start with one language as it's easier for most people to learn one rather than two or three. Or more," he added when Ethan looked disappointed.

 

"We're currently learning ASL at the Council on Saturdays; does that count as an extra language?" Adam asked.

 

"All of you?" Jared asked, surprised.

 

Grant, Jewel, Ritchie, and the attending heart-eyed freshmen shook their heads.

 

"Oh, well, it's great that you're learning another language on your own initiative. It does count as another language, but as it's using hands rather than spoken, you should be okay learning it at the same time. In fact, the ASL class could even count as extra credit, just like this class. But that's for another day. We should probably get started," Jared said, turning to the board and starting to write up a list of languages. "These are the twelve languages I'm fluent in. Any spark your interest?" he asked, stepping to the side.

 

"I vote for Arabic," Ethan said.

 

"All right, that's one," Jared said, putting a tally mark next to the language.

 

"Spanish," Craig said, a freshmen agreeing with him.

 

"Mandarin," Warren said.

 

"Japanese," Wendy said.

 

"French," Jewel said, two of the freshmen agreeing with her.

 

"Russian," Adam said. "They're known for being really good at coding, it could help," he added in explanation when Craig looked at him in confusion.

 

"Korean or Vietnamese," Grant said.

 

"Uh-uh, just one for now," Jared said, waiting with his whiteboard marker.

 

"Damn. Uh, Korean."

 

Italian, Hindi, Portuguese, German were the last four languages on the board. Layla was one of five people who hadn't yet voted, and she looked from the languages to her fellow students.

 

"Spanish," Ritchie said.

 

"Okay, good. Last four to choose?" Jared asked, looking to the last four students.

 

"Italian," one student said.

 

"German," another said.

 

Layla wanted to roll her eyes at their decisions; it was obvious they didn't want to be the deciders, so they'd purposely chosen languages that wouldn't affect the end result.

 

"This doesn't have to be set in stone, guys," Jared said, sounding a little disappointed at the two students' choices.

 

Their faces burned, but neither one changed their votes.

 

"I heard that Arabic's really hard," the third student said hesitantly.

 

"It can be, but it can also be a beautiful language. For example, if I say the phrase _Ya'aburnee_ \- which directly translated means 'you bury me' - I would be saying that I hope I die before you because it would be too difficult to live without you. It's such a simple phrase, but the meaning, the _devotion_ behind it is something that transcends even 'I love you'," Jared said emphatically.

 

"Can you write that on the board, Mr. Bowie?" Zach asked, curious to see how the word would translate to the written Arabic language.

 

"Sure," he said, writing the phrase with careful strokes and dots.

 

"You're sure they're words, Mr. Bowie?" Craig asked, tilting his head.

 

"Positive. Layla, Debbie, what are your choices?"

 

Debbie looked overwhelmed by the written Arabic word, and promptly chose Hindi, which left the final decision up to Layla.

 

"Spanish, Mr. Bowie," she said after a moment of deliberation.

 

"Excellent choice," Jared said. "Now, if you guys change your mind at any time, just let me know, okay? We can swap languages."

 

From there, he started speaking in rapid Spanish, much to the confusion of most of the class. He repeated his speech twice, then indicated to a person to answer his question using the words they'd picked up from his monologue.

 

 _It was going to be a very interesting lesson_ , Layla thought to herself, watching as one of the freshmen answered Jared's question hesitantly.

 

...

 

"Does it feel like your brain's trying to escape your head, or is it just me?" Craig asked with a groan as they headed to the final bus.

 

"It was a little over-whelming, but we went from knowing nothing to picking up at least six new words," Zach pointed out.

 

"The exercises helped. There are some interesting Spanish advertisements," Ethan said, flicking through the papers he'd collected.

 

"Yeah, great. Can you do the video thing again?" Craig asked.

 

"Of course. They helped?"

 

Craig nodded, then practically collapsed on a seat, curling around Zach's taller frame on the seat in front of him.

 

"Dude, go hug yourself," Zach said, shrugging him off.

 

"That's boring. Eth, can I hug you?" Craig asked.

 

Ethan shook his head, then adjusted his glasses. "I have to collate the information and find videos. I'll hug you later though," he offered.

 

"But that's not _now_ ," Craig whined.

 

"I'll hug you if you shut up."

 

"It's not a hug if there's no love involved," Craig said, scowling at Donny.

 

"C'mon, Craig; back seat," Warren said, tugging on his shirt collar.

 

"You're going to be like a giant heater. Hell, yes," Craig said, practically jumping over his seat to get to the back.

 

"That giant heater is gonna make you sweat buckets, dude," Adam said, shaking his head as he sat down after shoving Craig's bag to the side.

 

"Worth it," Craig called, curled up against Warren's chest.

 

"Why is Craig attached to you, Warren?" Layla asked.

 

"Brain hurts; I wanted a hug," Craig replied.

 

"Okay. Let me know if that helps; I've still got three hours of work to get through," Layla said with a slight grimace.

 

Warren wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

 

"Why is there an orgy happening in the backseat?" Grant asked, grinning at them as he sat down, Jewel and Ritchie on the seat across the aisle.

 

Craig flipped him the bird, but didn't move from his position.

 

"Needs to be more people for an orgy; three people is just a threesome," Warren replied, unperturbed.

 

"Are you offering?" Ritchie snickered.

 

"Are you asking?" Warren replied, rolling his eyes when Ritchie's cheeks reddened.

 

"Don't dish what you can't take, Ritch," Grant said, grinning.

 

Robin waved to Wendy as they boarded the bus with their friends from chess club. Terry looked hesitant at disturbing them, but moved closer and sat near Ethan.

 

"Uh, Ethan? Excuse me?"

 

"Yes?" Ethan asked, surprised that the students had approached him.

 

"Mr. Medulla said you beat him last year in the championships. Is that true?" Terry asked, his friends crowded behind him and waiting for the response with bated breath.

 

"Since when does Mr. Medulla lie?" Zach asked pointedly, grinning.

 

Terry nodded. "Can you teach me? Us? If you beat Mr. Medulla, then you must be _amazing_ at chess."

 

"My mother's better than me, honestly," Ethan replied with a grin. "She'll be competing this year, so you can meet her at the competition in May."

 

"We can't _go_ to the competition," Rita said, her eyes wide.

 

"Why not? I did," Ethan said.

 

"Yeah, but you actually won," Justina said.

 

"Sit down, kids!" Roger, the bus driver, called.

 

The freshmen hurried to take their seats at the front, and within minutes, the bus was flying out over Maxville.

 

"Didn't peg you as the type to have a fan club, Ethan," Grant said with a grin.

 

"I don't have a fan club," Ethan replied, frowning.

 

"Then you need new glasses; the chess club's practically creating 'Ethan's #1' banners."

 

"You might be immune to powers, but I can still smack you on the head. Stop being a dick," Wendy said, glaring.

 

"I'm making a point, not being a dick," Grant replied.

 

"You're being a dick. Takes one to know one," Craig called from the back seat, still hugging Warren.

 

Grant laughed. "All right, maybe I made a point in a dickish way. So why's a junior defending a bunch of freshmen?"

 

"Why are you asking so many questions?" Donny muttered, both annoyed and relieved that he couldn't read Grant's mind.

 

"Curiosity. Usually juniors, even sophomores, wouldn't give a flying... bus about freshmen. Some other seniors think you're upsetting the hierarchy," Grant said.

 

"Which seniors would those be?" Adam asked, thumbs poised over his phone screen.

 

Sensing the threat laced in Adam's words, Grant held his hands up in a gesture of peace. "It's only some of them, not the overall consensus. Most of us have too much to worry about with finals to pay much attention to what the lower grades are doing. That being said, I'm pretty sure every senior agreed to Stronghold's laser tag party so we can blow off some steam."

 

"I'm not going. I've got Mad Science tutoring on Saturday," Jewel added. "I'd prefer to play laser tag, honestly."

 

"Yeah, you're not the only one," Zach muttered.

 

"You guys didn't get invites, did you?" Ritchie asked.

 

"Sensitive, Ritch, really," Grant said, rolling his eyes.

 

"What? I'm curious and there isn't a subtle way to ask."

 

"You didn't actually _ask_ the question," Ethan pointed out, not looking up from his notebook.

 

Ritchie sighed. "Fine. Why didn't you guys get invited to Will's birthday?"

 

"Ex-girlfriend, ex-best friend, ex-best friend, ex-best friend, current friends of the above," Zach said, ticking off his fingers.

 

"Will's invited the whole school; why aren't you questioning him about why he's hanging out with freshmen?" Wendy asked Grant pointedly.

 

Grant shook his head. "He has three motives: one, he's inviting the school as a power move to gain more popularity. Two, he needs the support of second-gen supers as Airborne and is going to choose a sidekick. Laser tag's the perfect way to see how individuals work within groups without telling those people they're basically auditioning to be his sidekick. The third motive is to get everyone in the same place for nefarious purposes, but that's more Royal Pain's style, and _so last year_."

 

Craig snorted in amusement.

 

"Dude, if you've just got snot on my shirt, I'm going to light you on fire."

 

"No, you won't. You love me," Craig said, though he pulled away from Warren briefly to determine if his shirt was snot-free or not, then settled back down.

 

"Are you feeling any better, Craig?" Layla asked.

 

"Yeah, just sleepy now," he admitted, yawning widely.

 

"We're about to land, hold on, dude," Adam said over his shoulder.

 

Craig tightened his grip around Warren's torso, and the bus hit the ramp with a slight bump. "I'm alive," he called out.

 

"Good to know," Adam said.

 

They were silent as the bus merged onto the highway and continued through traffic to the pickup parking lot.

 

"See you guys next week," Grant said, shouldering his bag and heading down the bus aisle as the bus came to a stop.

 

"Seeya," Ritchie said over his shoulder.

 

"We'll probably see you tomorrow; there's another two days of school left," Jewel said, rolling her eyes as she followed them off the bus.

 

"Hey, Heids," Zach called off, waving to his sister wildly as he got off the bus.

 

Heidi grinned and waved back. Ida and Anita were talking with Craig's mother Cindy, as well as Nina, Honey and Frieda, and all six women seemed seriously intent about their discussion.

 

"What are they talking about?" Adam asked Donny.

 

"Upcoming plans for a day out and chess strategies. Wait a sec, Eth," Donny said.

 

"Is something wrong?" Ethan asked curiously.

 

"Your fan club's hoping to meet your mother," he replied, nodding to where the five freshmen were hanging back and waiting.

 

"Robin, come on, dear!"

 

"What're you doing, Todd? Get in the car already; we've got to get your sister from cello practice!"

 

Their parents shouts had the freshmen hurrying to their respective cars, Terry, Justina, and Rita not wanting to be called out by their parents as well.

 

"Thanks, Donny. Would they have been that bad?"

 

"Bad, no. Overeager, yes. Your mother would have agreed to teach them, and it'd ruin her chances at the championship."

 

"Damn. How can I get them to back off? Mum's been practising hard to win. The other day she drove us to the bus and was naming cars as different chess pieces," Ethan said.

 

"Anita almost screamed at another driver because they didn't move the right way," Zach said, grinning.

 

"They moved three spaces instead of one; they were meant to be a king. It ruined the rest of the game," Ethan said.

 

"It was hilarious, Eth."

 

Donny ignored them and concentrated on the visions he could see in Honey's head. Blinking a moment later, Donny looked to Ethan. "Tell your mother the truth about the chess club. She'll be prepared to say _no_ next week."

 

"Oh. Okay, that's easy. Thanks, Donny."

 

"No problem. See you tomorrow," he said over his shoulder, heading to his parents' car with Wendy beside him.

 

"Hey, Heids. How was your day at school?" Zach asked, signing to her.

 

Heidi rolled her eyes and started signing back, obviously annoyed at something that had happened.

 

"What? Did you report them?"

 

Heidi gave her brother a pointed look, signing a few words to basically say 'no, of course not' before continuing with her story.

 

"What's going on? Why's Heidi angry?" Ethan asked with a frown, pushing his glasses up his nose.

 

"How can you tell she's angry?" Craig asked sarcastically.

 

"She's obviously not that angry, or the cars would start," Adam pointed out.

 

Beside them, Anita's car engine started to rumble without anyone in the driver's seat or the key in the ignition. They looked to Adam, who held his hands up with a wince.

 

"My bad," Adam said.

 

"Heids, you need to calm down," Zach said, signing to her. "No, not calm down because of your emotions. You're allowed to be angry, but if you break Anita's car, we're both in deep shit, okay?"

 

Heidi huffed and stopped signing, stomping between the cars to try to let out some of her anger.

 

"Dude, what the hell happened?" Craig asked.

 

"An idiot substitute teacher thought she was listening to music, so they told her to take her hearing aids out, then got pissed when she didn't answer a question and berated her in front of the whole class. Heids couldn't hear them, signed as much, and they thought she was being disrespectful, so she's got detention on the weekend."

 

" _Excuse me?_ " Anita asked behind them, her voice like steel.

 

"Uh..." Zach faltered.

 

"Heidi's been discriminated against because of her disability," Craig said helpfully.

 

"Yes, so I heard. Get in the car; we're going back to the school," Anita said, ushering Zach, Ethan, and Heidi into her car. "I wish you'd told me what had happened when I picked you up, Heidi. I could've dealt with the principal there and then."

 

Heidi shrank in on herself at the reprimand, even though it wasn't said harshly.

 

"Oh, no, sweetie. I'm not upset with you. I'm just upset that you've been dealing with this awful day for all this time and I didn't know about it. Come on, let's go; I'll give that principal of yours a piece of my mind."

 

"I kind of want to know what happens," Craig said, grinning.

 

"Public school security? I can do that with my eyes closed," Adam said. "I'll send you guys a link later," he added quietly as his mother came over.

 

"Ready to go, Adam? You get to choose tonight's takeaway," Ida said with a smile.

 

"I'm missing takeaway night? Aw, damn," Craig pouted.

 

"We had takeaway last night, Craig," Cindy said. "You promised to do your homework tonight since I let you skip last night," she reminded him.

 

"I hoped you'd forget," Craig admitted, following his mother to her car.

 

"I thought you would, which is why I wrote a note _and_ set an alarm to remind myself. If you finish your homework tonight, we can have takeaway on Friday to celebrate."

 

"Awesome, thanks, Mum."

 

"See you guys tomorrow," Adam called, leaving with his mother.

 

"Ready to go to work, kid?" Nina asked Warren, who nodded.

 

"Yeah, ready. See you later, hippie," he said, kissing Layla's cheek.

 

"Have a good night at work," she replied before heading to Frieda's Toyota with Honey.

 

"Don't worry, I've got a plan."

 

"For what?" Layla asked, wondering if Honey meant whatever had happened with Heidi, or the chess club and Anita, or something else entirely.

 

"Adam. I'm going to hire him to redesign the _Labyrinth_ website. Well, maybe. It depends how the appointment with him and Ethan goes this weekend," Honey amended.

 

"You have an appointment with them?" Layla asked curiously.

 

"Hostile business takeovers," Honey replied. "Hmm, now that I'm thinking about it, I think those might be enough for Adam. I'll get the website redone by... ah, yes. That will be just what the readers expect. Adam's work would be too good to be believable for _Labyrinth_. Which is unfortunate, since he'd do a splendid job. He has a good eye for detail and the flow of information."

 

"Are you saying all of this so I'll hire him to create the Hive's website?"

 

"Would I go to all that effort?" Honey asked with a smile.

 

"Yes," Layla said without a second of hesitation.

 

Honey laughed. "I suppose you're right."

 

...

 

End of the sixty-first chapter.


	62. Chapter 62

"Magenta, you're _smiling_. Are you all right?" Layla teased, grinning at her.

 

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I've got a date with Will tonight and I'm excited about it," she said, unable to stop smiling despite telling her facial muscles to _stop already_.

 

"That's sweet. I hope you have fun."

 

"Thanks, I'm sure I will. Uh, you're not going on a date with Warren tonight, are you?" Magenta asked, realising that the _Paper Lantern_ was the place to be for Friday night date night.

 

"Nope, we're both working. I'd better get ready for Mad Science. Have a nice day, Magenta," Layla said over her shoulder as she headed to her locker.

 

Magenta caught her reflection - _still smiling_ \- and rolled her eyes at herself, closing her locker door firmly.

 

...

 

Despite the fact that, at most, ten people participated in Save the Citizen on Friday afternoons, all of the students at Sky High had to change into their PE clothes.

 

As a result, it was difficult to find space in the bathrooms to change. Even with their super-speed changing, almost one hundred students getting changed in the same small cramped spaces meant people got over their inhibitions by sophomore year at the latest.

 

"Dude, what happened to you?" Will asked, seeing long scratches down Warren's back.

 

He forgot that they weren't best friends anymore, that he didn't really have a right to ask Warren anything, and simply stared at the long welts down his back.

 

Warren pulled his singlet on and turned around, a smirk on his face. "Birthday present."

 

"Huh?" Will said, frowning.

 

Warren snorted. "I'll tell you when you're older," he said condescendingly, patting Will's shoulder before he left the bathroom.

 

Behind him, Donny snickered at Will's confused expression. "Dude, he got laid. Best present a man can get," he added, using his super speed to get changed and leave the bathroom.

 

Will stared after them, thinking and wondering what sort of present Magenta had got for his birthday.

 

"Did it work?" Warren asked Donny as they headed to the gym.

 

"Yeah, he's questioning his masculinity like it's tied to his virginity," Donny said, rolling his eyes.

 

"What an idiot."

 

...

 

Will paced back and forth, trying to decide how best to bring up his questions with his parents. Logically, he knew that he should just man up and ask, but his mother could be scathing, even if she didn't mean to be. Will also knew from first-hand experience that if he asked something even remotely embarrassing of his father, he'd be told to ask his mother.

 

It was a vicious cycle which really only looped because Will couldn't bring himself to ask his mother something that would either lead to a confrontation or embarrassment, or both.

 

Besides, his parents were both busy organising his party for tomorrow, and they weren't even home. He'd contemplated texting Magenta to see if she wanted to come over, but Will knew that he needed the extra night to do homework so he wouldn't be stuck doing it all on Sunday night again.

 

Wincing at the memory of his mother's anger - _you're smart, but we know that you don't always_ ** _apply_** _your smarts_ (which basically meant he was an idiot) - Will sat down and started to work on his English assignment.

 

The answer to his problem came almost an hour later - his parents still weren't home, but that would work to his advantage right now - and Will started scribbling questions on post-its, sticking them to the pages of Lustful's autobiography.

 

With that part done, Will flew downstairs and into the Secret Sanctum to leave his English folder and the book on top, the post-its sticking out with a few extra question marks added to the brightly-coloured paper, just to make it really obvious.

 

Feeling proud of his ingenious plan, Will flew back up to his bedroom, closed his door, and decided to put in a few reps before going to bed.

 

...

 

Magenta tried to keep her smile on her face, even though her stomach was rumbling and she'd long given up on Will actually making their date. She'd ordered an entrée this time, but that had been almost an hour ago, and the spring rolls felt like a distant memory.

 

To make the whole thing even worse, both Larry and his girlfriend _and_ Lisa and Ben were at the Paper Lantern, so they'd all seen her being stood up. Both couples had left after they'd finished eating, though Lisa had asked Magenta if she wanted her to text Will. Feeling like she'd died from embarrassment, Magenta had shaken her head, lying and saying that Will was running late, and he'd be there soon.

 

 _Probably off saving the world again_ , she'd added with a fake smile. Lisa and Ben hadn't seemed to believe her anymore than Magenta believed her own lie, but they'd _finally_ left her alone.

 

Trying not to feel _too_ bitter that they'd been able to enjoy their date together, Magenta wondered what Will's excuse would be this time.

 

"Hey. You going to order?" Warren asked.

 

"Oh, hey Warren. I forgot you worked here," Magenta said, wincing when she realised how harsh her words sounded.

 

Warren just shrugged. "No biggie. You gonna order something else, or are you eating like a guinea pig now?" he asked, nodding to her small plate, practically licked clean.

 

"Uh, no. I should probably get home, it's getting late," Magenta said.

 

Warren gave another shrug and put his notepad away. He grabbed her empty dishes, stacking them neatly. "Hang around for a few minutes; Layla will be here soon. I'm cooking dinner for her, so I'll do something for you too," he added, leaving without waiting for a response.

 

She should go. She should let Layla and Warren have their time together. But the prospect of food was far too enticing, so Magenta stayed seated, ripping the napkin into tiny pieces. She was creating a nest for her guinea pig, another nervous habit from her childhood. Magenta usually forced herself to stop when she found herself doing it now that she was older, but she didn't care now. She was alone, had been stood up _again_ , was kind of starving, and she wanted to be small and warm without these stupid emotions in the way. Besides, shredding the rest of the napkin was cathartic and she felt better when the small pile was built up in front of her.

 

The front door opened and Magenta looked over as a habit, smiling briefly when she saw Layla coming inside. Scooping the shredded napkin into her handbag for her nest at home, Magenta waved over at Layla, who headed over after a brief expression of surprise.

 

"Hey, Magenta. I thought you were going on a date with Will tonight?" Layla asked curiously, taking off her coat and sitting across from Magenta.

 

She looked so professional and _older_ in her business shirt and skirt, her hair done up in a bun, even if she was lugging her schoolbag around. Magenta suddenly wished that she'd dressed up nicer for her date; she looked like a complete _slob_ in comparison.

 

"I thought the same thing," she admitted. "Will probably had people to save and forgot his phone again," Magenta said, shrugging as though she was indifferent to the whole thing.

 

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," Layla said, covering Magenta's hand with her own and squeezing gently in support. "I'm sure Will didn't _mean_ to forget about you and your date. He just... spaces out sometimes," she said.

 

Magenta wished she hadn't shredded the napkin after all because she felt like she was going to cry. All at once, her eyes watered and she looked down at her blurry lap, hating herself.

 

 _God, this was so embarrassing_.

 

"Have you eaten?" Layla asked, reaching into her bag and passing a tissue to Magenta.

 

After blowing her nose loudly, Magenta shook her head. "Just some spring rolls. Warren said he was going to make something for you, and he'd do something for me too."

 

"Oh, that's good. Food will help. Food and tea," Layla added with a brief smile. "Did you text Will?"

 

Magenta sighed. "Yeah, like, five times. He didn't answer," she said, shrugging. "Do you have to deal with this sorta stuff with Warren?"

 

"What sort of stuff?" Warren asked as he arrived with three bowls in his hands.

 

"Will hasn't text Magenta back and she's text him, like, five times," Layla said, accepting her bowl with a smile and thanks.

 

"Sounds like a dick move by Stronghold. You okay with Szechuan chicken, Magenta?" Warren asked, setting the bowl in front of her.

 

"Uh. Yeah, it's my favourite," she said, smiling. "How'd you know?" Magenta added curiously.

 

"You had your birthday party here last year; you said it was your favourite," Warren replied with a shrug before pulling his chopsticks apart and starting to eat.

 

"Eat up, Magenta. You don't want it to go cold," Layla added, starting to eat her own dinner.

 

"Right. Thanks."

 

Her stomach rumbling audibly, Magenta started to eat, grateful for the food and the company.

 

Paying for her dinner with the woman at the front desk, Magenta was surprised when Warren and Layla joined her outside a moment later. "You don't have to clean up?" Magenta asked.

 

"I put everything in the dishwasher. It doesn't take that long," Warren added when Magenta looked surprised.

 

"It turns into World War Three any time my mother asks my brothers to put their dishes away," she said with a grin.

 

"Well, your mother's not going to follow them around for the rest of their lives to put their dishes away for them, is she?" Warren asked pointedly.

 

Layla grabbed his hand and squeezed. "We're heading to the bus stop. Where are you going, Magenta?"

 

"Bus stop, too. You don't mind me being a third wheel?" she asked as they started walking.

 

"Yes. You've gotta be ten metres behind us," Warren said sarcastically.

 

Magenta laughed and Layla shook her head.

 

"Come on, or we'll all miss our buses," Layla said.

 

Magenta's bus arrived first and she waved goodbye to Layla and Warren, who waved back before heading to the other side of the road for their own bus. Despite Will not turning up for their date, Magenta realised that she'd had a nice night anyway.

 

"What's the bet she asks Will what her favourite meal is at the _Paper Lantern_?" Layla asked, muffling her laugher against Warren's shoulder.

 

"I think she'll ask, but it'll be tomorrow by text," Warren said.

 

"Ooh. She knows he won't text back tonight, so... I think she'll ask him at the party tomorrow," Layla replied, smiling brightly.

 

"What's the bet?"

 

Layla thought about it for a moment, waving down their arriving bus. "First flower to sell at the Hive?"

 

It wasn't exactly what he'd expected, but Warren nodded anyway. "Wait, does that mean you put in the business application?" he asked when they were seated.

 

"Yes, I did. I should know if they accept the application by next week," Layla said with a grin.

 

"Congratulations, hippie."

 

"Thank you. I was going to forge your signature and add you to the application, but I know your mother views the business applications."

 

Warren grinned. "She always says my signature looks like chicken scratch anyway."

 

"I'm not fluent in chicken scratch," Layla teased, kissing him. "Now, tell me what you and Donny did; Adam's been cackling about it all night."

 

"Stronghold saw the scratches on my back and assumed we'd had sex. Donny told him that sex is the best birthday present a **man** could get."

 

Layla laughed. "Oh, Super Jesus. Will's going to be obsessing over that for _weeks_."

 

"That's the idea," Warren said, grinning.

 

Layla glanced at Warren, a long once-over with heat in her gaze.

 

"What?"

 

"Trying to figure out what else you kept, besides the scratches on your back," she said, her eyes bright as she kissed him lightly.

 

"Can you wait until we're off the bus, hippie?" Warren said, kissing her.

 

"What if I said no? Would you let me find out now?" she asked, a teasing spark in her eye.

 

"Being arrested for public indecency isn't how I want my night to go," he said.

 

"How do you want it to go?" Layla asked teasingly, stroking his bicep with her fingertips.

 

Warren made a soft growling noise, grabbing Layla by the hips and moving her onto his lap, her back firm against his chest. "Like this, but with less clothing," he admitted, his words warm against the shell of her ear.

 

"Hmm. I think I can help with that," Layla said, reaching up and pressing her ass against Warren's crotch as she pressed the bus' stop button.

 

The bus came to a stop, Warren following Layla off the bus, strategically carrying their bags in front of him. The bus' tail lights had barely disappeared over the hill before Warren tugged Layla against his body, kissing her firmly.

 

"Come on. We can make out inside the Hive. It's warmer," Layla cajoled.

 

"I'm warm enough," Warren said, kissing her neck.

 

"I thought you didn't want to be arrested for public indecency?"

 

"There's no one else around, hippie," he said, nipping at her lips.

 

As if to prove Warren wrong, headlights came from a car behind them.

 

"Shit. Okay, come on, before I burn an innocent citizen's car," Warren muttered, glaring after the driver.

 

Layla laughed and took his hand, leading him down the road, through the forest, and into the Hive. Warren let their bags drop to the floor and then lifted Layla up into his arms, not intending to let her go for the rest of the night.

 

...

 

"Mum? Have you seen my English homework?" Will called. "I want to finish my essay before the party."

 

Josie was surprised to say the least - Will usually waited until Sunday night to finish any homework - but she didn't want to say that and ruin any chance of him actually studying. "I'll have a look now! Steve, look after the bacon?"

 

"Yes, dear," Steve said, standing by the frying pan as Josie flew around the house to try to find Will's homework.

 

"Why's it in the Secret Sanctum?" Josie muttered, then looked over to the pinball machine with narrowed eyes.

 

It had taken her half a day to reclaim the top score and she was positive that while Will had probably _started_ studying, he'd definitely ended up on the pinball machine. After ensuring that her score was still at the top, Josie grabbed Will's homework.

 

Seeing the question marks sticking out of the book, she turned it the right way around. Feeling as though her heart stopped when she saw Lustful's name, Josie almost dropped all of Will's work. Her hands trembled as she flipped open to one of the marked pages.

 

_Lustful's power only works on people who are attracted to her. She defeated both Mum & Dad with her power. Were both of them attracted to her??_

 

Josie shut the book with a snap, forcing herself to inhale and exhale several times. Shoving the book in the folder, Josie flew up to Will's room and knocked on the door before opening it. "I found it in the Secret Sanctum. Were you trying to beat my score on the pinball machine instead of studying, Will?" she asked with a brittle smile.

 

This was the point where Will should have asked his questions. He should have gathered his courage, faced his mother like a man, and asked all thirty questions that he'd marked in the book. He didn't.

 

Instead, Will laughed, running a hand through his hair. "You caught me. I'll beat your score one day!"

 

"Not if I have any say in it. Now, I have two house showings and I'll be finalising a deal this afternoon, and your father has a fight scheduled for tonight. We'll meet you at the arcade for your party, and I'll bring your cake. You won't have a pre-party here, will you?"

 

"No, I learnt my lesson with that one, Mum," Will said, wondering when he'd ever be able to live that down; _it hadn't even been his fault!_

 

"Good. I'll see you tonight. Happy birthday," Josie said, kissing his forehead before flying down to the kitchen to check on the bacon.

 

 _Well, even ingenious plans failed sometimes_ , Will thought, dumping his English folder on his desk and going over to his gym equipment instead.

 

...

 

Waking up early, her brain in turmoil, Magenta unlocked her phone to check the time. Just before 5am and it was a Saturday. Knowing exactly why her brain was in such a state, Magenta flicked through her phone to her messages, wincing at the number of unanswered texts she'd sent to Will over the course of the previous night.

 

 _Was she being clingy or needy? They'd organised a date, surely checking to see where he was for said date was acceptable? Sending five texts within an hour wasn't clingy if she was worried, right?_ He hadn't picked up any of her calls, either, so this was the only way she knew her messages were getting through to Will.

 

_What if he'd had to go save some citizens again?_

_What if he'd lost his phone? Or he'd damaged it by throwing it through a wall again?_

_What if he'd been hurt on the way to their date?_

_What if he didn't even_ **_like_ ** _her anymore?_

_What if he wanted to break up with her and he just didn't want to admit it?_

 

 _Was that something you could ask your boyfriend? Was that something she could ask_ ** _Will_** _and expect a truthful answer?_ Magenta knew just as well as anyone what lengths Will would go to in order to avoid answering questions.

 

Remembering the napkin she'd shredded the night before, Magenta climbed out of her warm bed. Lining her nest, she looked between her bed (and phone) and the nest full of newspaper, napkins, and an old shirt.

 

Muttering to herself - she was being clingy now, she **knew** she was - Magenta sent a final text message to Will, then turned her phone to 'do not disturb'. With that done, she shrank down into a guinea pig and curled up in her nest to sleep.

 

_Happy birthday! Quick question: do you know what my favourite meal is at the Paper Lantern? See you tonight! :)_

 

...

 

"How _dare_ you allow this sort of behaviour from your staff?"

 

"Uh, Mrs. Damsale, it was just a misunderstanding..."

 

"With thirty children telling the teacher the exact same thing?! How on earth is that a misunderstanding?" Anita snapped.

 

"The substitute teacher..." the principal stammered, clutching at their desk with white knuckles.

 

"Should have listened to their students. They're substituting to teach, that doesn't give them the right to lord over the students! They might be children, but that doesn't mean they don't know what they're talking about. My daughter's inability to hear doesn't mean she's an idiot!" Anita said, as though daring the principal to disagree.

 

"Of-of course not. I... I apologise."

 

"Do you think that's good enough? Heidi was _humiliated_ in front of her classmates, and had to go through the rest of the day without her hearing aids. It affected her ability to learn, especially from idiotic teachers with God complexes!"

 

"Of course. Of course not?" the principal added warily. "Uh. I'll deal with the substitute teacher. They won't be hired here again."

 

"And?" Anita asked, glaring.

 

"And... I'm sorry this happened?"

 

"How about apologising to Heidi personally? She is sitting _right here_ ; are you going to dismiss her as well?! And what about actually letting substitute teachers know you have disabled students in your classes? What if the teacher had told Stevie to stand up?"

 

"Stevie?" the principal asked, wondering if Anita had another child that he didn't know about.

 

Anita's face became even more stern; if she'd been a super, she would have been a Medusa-esque super, and the principal would've turned to stone under her gaze. "Stevie Kenarben, Heidi's friend who happens to be in a wheelchair."

 

"Oh. I don't know? I'm really sorry this happened to you, Heidi. There will be no detention for you, of course," the principal added before Anita could say anything else. "I'm very sorry, Mrs. Damsale. I will... take on your suggestions on board so this doesn't happen again. To any students," he added.

 

"Good. Are you all right now, Heidi?"

 

Heidi nodded and signed to Anita.

 

"You're welcome, dear. Now, let's go home. Boys, stop making out, your sister has to see enough of that at home," Anita said, rolling her eyes as she left the principal's office with Heidi beside her.

 

Behind them, the principal paled at her words, but didn't say a thing.

 

...

 

"You just couldn't wait to get home and make out?" Adam asked Ethan, wincing as he closed the video on his phone.

 

"Zach was worried, it was the easiest way to calm him down," Ethan replied with a shrug.

 

"Good morning. Honey's waiting for you," Sarah said, smiling at the two young men waiting in the _Labyrinth_ 's foyer.

 

"How are you, Sarah?" Ethan asked as they followed her down to Honey's office.

 

"Not too bad. I'm going to be meeting with Frieda later. Apparently she and her friends have created several wedding ideas for me and Jared to look over," Sarah said.

 

"Puffy dresses for the bridesmaids?" Adam asked with a laugh.

 

"I've got money riding on that being Hyacinth's idea," she admitted, grinning as she opened Honey's office door. "Adam and Ethan are here to see you," Sarah said.

 

"Thank you, Sarah. Come in, sit down. We have a lot to discuss, and not much time. I need one hostile takeover done by this afternoon or they're going to get support by Monday," Honey said, indicating to the two chairs across from her desk.

 

Adam and Ethan walked into her office, and behind them, Sarah shut the door firmly.

 

...

 

Zach tapped his feet against the floor with a highlighter in his mouth and a pen in each hand as he drummed along with the beat coming from his phone. Over the past few weeks, Zach had discovered he learnt best while there was noise in the background. Ethan had spent ten whole minutes kissing him after he'd admitted that to his boyfriend.

 

He was home alone, and had promised Ethan to finish the draft of his English essay while Ethan was helping Honey with the hostile takeover thing, and Heidi was at the audiologist's with Anita and Richard.

 

It took a moment to realise the knocking noise wasn't the sound of his feet, and Zach set his things aside to answer the front door.

 

"Mum?" he said, stopping short.

 

"Hello, Zach," Mrs. Brighton said, smiling briefly.

 

"What are you doing here?" Zach asked, grabbing the keys before walking out onto the front step and closing the door firmly behind him. "How did you even know where we live? It wasn't in the legal documents," he said, frowning at her.

 

"The Damsales are listed. Is your sister home?"

 

"No."

 

Heidi didn't hate their mother like she hated their father, but she hadn't liked the woman's inability to stand up for them, to protect them, to love them like Anita already did. Zach was suddenly so glad that Heidi wasn't home.

 

Mrs. Brighton's hopeful expression fell. She coughed and nodded slightly. "All right. I just... wanted to see that you were okay. That you were both okay. I miss you, Zachy," she said, reaching out for him.

 

Zach moved back as far as possible, the diamond shape of the screen door pressed into his back firmly. "I don't see why you care if we're okay now. You've never cared before," he said, trying to keep his voice even, though it felt like it was breaking.

 

"I did. Of course I did. You're my children."

 

"Then why didn't you check on me any time he beat me to a pulp?" Zach asked. "I waited up all night _so many times_ , but you never came. You never cared about me, not once."

 

Mrs. Brighton's face turned pale at the reminder. "I... I should go. Look after your sister," she said as she headed down the path to her car.

 

"I always do," Zach said, his jaw clenched so hard that his face ached.

 

Opening the door with a trembling hand, Zach locked it behind him to make sure she wouldn't come back, then went upstairs to cry.

 

...

 

"Ethan, your phone's ringing," Honey said.

 

Knowing his phone was on silent, Ethan patted his pockets to find his phone, answering it when he saw that Zach was calling. "Are you all right?"

 

"Not really. Mum... She came to the house. Can you come home?" Zach asked, his voice quiet and _shattered_ in a way that Ethan hadn't heard before.

 

Ethan didn't even spare a thought for the second hostile takeover they were in the middle of organising. "I'll be right there."

 

"Sarah can drop you off if you run," Honey said.

 

Ethan nodded in thanks, grabbed his bag, and ran out of Honey's office. He almost ran into Sarah, who was heading to the exit.

 

"Ethan? What's wrong?" Sarah asked, her amused expression falling away when she saw how stricken he looked.

 

"I need to get home. Zach's... I don't know, I need to make sure he's all right," Ethan said.

 

"Okay. Do you want me to call someone along the way? Your mother, an ambulance?" Sarah asked, leading him outside and over to her car.

 

"I-I don't know," Ethan admitted, feeling sick.

 

Ethan vaguely remembered directing Sarah from _Labyrinth_ to his house, but opening the door and getting up the stairs was a blur. All he could focus on was Zach, curled up on the bed and looking like he'd had his soul sucked out of him. Even when they'd had Mr. Brighton liquefied in a jar, Zach hadn't looked this awful.

 

"Zach. I'm here," Ethan said, dropping his bag and rushing over, hugging Zach to his chest. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

 

Zach sniffed, shaking and then nodding his head. "I... I didn't expect her. Like, at all. Anyone else, I'd be fine. Hell, it could've been Super Jesus at the door and I'd be okay. But... I just... didn't expect _Mum_ to be there."

 

Ethan kissed his cheek gently. "I'm here now. Let it all out," he murmured, rubbing Zach's back and letting him cry against his chest.

 

"Zach, is everything all right? The front door was wide open," Richard called out as he headed up the stairs to check on him. Seeing Ethan's bag in the hallway, Richard frowned. "Ethan, I thought you were out... Is Zach all right?" he asked, stopping short in the doorway when he saw the state Zach was in.

 

"Mrs. Brighton came over earlier. It freaked Zach out; he wasn't expecting to see her," Ethan added, stroking Zach's bright hair back.

 

"Oh. Well... How did she know where we lived?" Richard asked, frowning.

 

"She found you - _hic_ \- in the phonebook," Zach hiccuped.

 

"Anita, we need to call Frieda's lawyer," Richard called as he headed back downstairs.

 

"What's wrong?" Anita asked in surprise. "You know Ethan and Zach are dating."

 

"Of course I do," he said, frowning at his wife in confusion. "Mrs. Brighton came over earlier. Zach's upstairs bawling his eyes out. She found our address in the phonebook."

 

Heidi's eyes widened at his explanation and ran out of the kitchen and up to her brother. Climbing up on the bed beside him, Heidi wrapped her arms around Zach tightly. "You okay? I can hurt her, Zach. I can hurt anyone who hurts you. I don't care, I'll hurt them all," she said, her voice shaking.

 

Zach sniffed and turned slightly, hugging his sister in return. "I know you will, Heids."

 

Half an hour later, Anita and Richard finished talking with Ms. Martin about Mrs. Brighton's breach of privacy, causing Zach emotional harm, and their options as a result. They went upstairs to find Ethan, Zach, and Heidi all piled up and asleep on Ethan's bed. Richard set three glasses of water on Ethan's side table for when they woke up, and Anita led her husband back downstairs to talk about what they could do to protect their children and keep them safe.

 

...

 

"To anyone just tuning in, a villain named Nocturne is fighting against the Commander. This is one of the first scheduled fights Maxville has seen, and several people are already questioning whether this schedule will work," Brian Anderson said, looking to the screen where the Commander was fighting Nocturne.

 

It was night, as per Nocturne's request, but there was enough light from street lamps that the fight could be seen clearly. Nocturne's power was shifting into shadows, and so far, all he'd done was taunt the Commander and make him turn around in circles. While it had been amusing at the start of the fight, after almost twenty minutes, people were losing interest. The Commander was losing his patience each time Nocturne eluded his grasp, but he was on his own as Josie was putting the final touches on Will's birthday party and had promised to come as soon as she had finished.

 

"Can't catch - _urgh_ ," Nocturne gurgled when the Commander grabbed him by the throat.

 

"Caught you," the Commander said triumphantly.

 

Nocturne's eyes widened and he struggled, trying to pry off the Commander's hand around his throat and kicking out, trying to get free. He was lucky and managed to kick the Commander right between the legs. While he was super-strong, that didn't mean he was infallible, and the Commander let out a cry of pain, throwing Nocturne away from his own body.

 

Nocturne went flying, crashing and denting a brick house with the force of the impact. The Commander breathed for a moment, forced himself to straighten up, and stalked over to where he'd thrown Nocturne. The supervillain was no longer there, melted down into the shadows once more.

 

"Hey, Commander. Over here," Nocturne called from the other side of the street, grinning when he spun around abruptly.

 

The Commander lunged at the villain, Nocturne slipping back into shadows right before the impact, and instead, the Commander punched a hole through the glass wall of a modern home. He was taunted again, turned and threw himself at the villain once more, _certain_ that he'd catch Nocturne this time, only to smash into another house.

 

This time, nothing broke. In fact, the Commander felt shaken up, as though the building had rammed into _him_ instead. Shaking his head, the Commander looked at the simple timber house in confusion.

 

"Commander, _what_ are you doing?" Jetstream asked, hovering a few metres above him with her hands on her hips.

 

"Oh, uh, nothing."

 

"Obviously, because Nocturne is still running around terrorising citizens," she snapped, indicating further down the road where Nocturne was popping out of shadows to scare people who'd come to view the fight in person.

 

"Right. Sorry," the Commander said.

 

Putting the house out of his mind, the Commander ran forward to grab Nocturne - making sure to hold the villain away from his crotch this time - and knocked him out with one fell punch. Jetstream landed beside him, smiling and waving at the crowd and cameras.

 

Layla exhaled slowly, blinking her way to consciousness, her head pounding. She was lying on her bed with her head in Warren's lap. Layla could hear the TV in the background, Brian Anderson mentioning something about Nocturne no longer terrorising the good citizens of Maxville thanks to the Commander and Jetstream.

 

"Are you all right, Layla?" Warren asked, stroking her hair back from her face gently.

 

The Commander hitting into her building had knocked Layla off her feet as well, and she was far paler than Warren would have liked. He was glad he had been there with her; Warren didn't want to imagine what would have happened if Layla had been on her own for this.

 

"I'm okay," Layla breathed, heavy and slow. "It was just a surprise; it felt like he'd literally slammed into _me_. I didn't expect it," she said, licking her lips. "I know what to expect now."

 

"Shit, hippie, maybe this was a bad idea. You can't fall over every time the Commander hits one of your buildings," Warren muttered. "You won't always know what to expect, will you? What if someone decides they don't like the organised fights and goes out on their own?"

 

"My vines will protect me. I'm all right, Warren, honest," Layla promised, smiling up at him. "I'm glad you were here; you caught me."

 

"Of course I did; you were going to brain yourself on the desk otherwise."

 

Layla sat up slowly, clutching Warren's hand for support. "Thank you, Warren."

 

"Anytime, hippie," he said, pulling her onto his lap and hugging her, tucking his chin over her shoulder. "I was scared he'd hurt you."

 

"I'm all right now. Promise," Layla said, hugging him tightly in return.

 

"Good. Keep it that way, hippie."

 

"I'll try. You too."

 

...

 

"Happy birthday, Will!"

 

The shout was echoed by several students, all of them waving to Will, who was wearing the laser tag equipment and waved back awkwardly with the laser gun in his hand.

 

Craig walked around the party, a plate with finger food in one hand and a drink in the other. He was disappointed, but not surprised, that the pigs in a blanket weren't as good as Zach's. Making a mental note to let Zach know later, Craig used Donny's power to focus on a few thoughts here and there.

 

Josie Stronghold was guarding the punch bowl like it was hoarded treasure, though she was, of course, smiling at everyone who came nearby, offering a cup when they were close enough. It also provided a great view of the laser tag scoreboard. Craig had listened in on her thoughts while getting his own drink, so he knew that Grant had been right: Will's party was basically a way to audition for potential sidekicks.

 

The questions Josie had asked of him while he was getting his drink would've confirmed that, even without reading her thoughts. She wanted to know his power, if he was a Hero or Hero Support, and what he thought of the party so far. Anyone who said the party was 'okay' had been immediately dismissed, so Craig knew that Josie wasn't just looking for a sidekick for Will, but for someone who would be able to boost _her_ ego as well.

 

Wishing he hadn't chosen such a short dress - he'd been whistled at, ogled, and cat-called five times in the last ten minutes - Craig finally spotted a free seat and sat down. Sipping his drink, Craig's arm sparkled in the black lighting the bowling alley had set up for glow-in-the-dark bowling, and he tried not to look too surprised at the fact.

 

He'd crashed Will's party in Jewel's form, so sparkling was all part of the act. Besides, the look was kind of growing on him.

 

"Hey, babe. I thought you weren't coming?" Grant asked, sitting across from him.

 

Craig swallowed his mouthful of drink. He hadn't known that Grant and Jewel were dating. _Unless Grant called everyone 'babe'?_

 

"I changed my mind at the last minute," Craig said in Jewel's voice.

 

"Great. Want to have a go at whack-a-villain?" Grant asked, nodding over to the arcade game.

 

Licking his lips, Craig shook his head.

 

"How about we go somewhere and make out instead?" Grant asked, grinning and winking.

 

"What?" Craig asked, silently cursing himself and his squeaking voice.

 

Grant smirked and reached across the table, tapping Craig's chin with his finger. "You're cute when you blush, Craig."

 

Realising that he wasn't shifted while Grant was touching him, Craig pulled away and shifted back to Jewel's form. "How'd you know?"

 

"Jewel text me to say she was bored of Mad Science, so she'd be coming after all. Thing is, I'd already seen you. It didn't take a genius to figure it out," Grant said, winking.

 

"So, what, you just came over here to fuck with me?" Craig hissed.

 

"No, I came here to flirt with you," Grant replied simply.

 

"Because I look like Jewel?"

 

"No. Though you do look amazing in that dress," he said with another wink.

 

Craig felt his cheeks burning and wondered what Jewel looked like while blushing. He tried not to look too nervous when he realised that Jewel had arrived and was walking over to them. She was in jeans, a shirt, and a pair of gloves, which was far more practical for something like laser tag. Jewel also didn't look upset or surprised to see her carbon copy sitting across from Grant.

 

"You're lucky it's too dark for anyone to notice there's two of me," Jewel said as she arrived at their table. She pressed a kiss to Grant's mouth, then stood in front of Craig to block him from anyone else's view.

 

"Look, I just wanted to come to the party," Craig lied.

 

Grant rolled his eyes. "If you just wanted to come to the party, then you wouldn't be talking to people and putting little seeds in their head. You also wouldn't be flirting with people while shifted in Will's body."

 

Craig's jewelled hand crushed the cup he was holding, and he brushed the glass away with a soft tinkling noise that was drowned in the sound of bowling balls hitting the alleys. "I don't know what you're talking about."

 

"I've been watching you, Craig. I know exactly who you've talked to, and I know what you've said to them," Grant said. "And I'm disappointed you didn't flirt with me first."

 

Not knowing how to respond to the second part, Craig decided to focus on the first. "How do you know what I've said to people?"

 

Jewel grinned. "Grant can read lips. Very handy for talking across the classroom without getting into trouble," she said, her thumb running along Craig's bottom lip, jewel grating on jewel.

 

Craig's breath shuddered at the motion, wondering in the back of his mind what it would feel like to have her thumb on his skin.

 

Across the table, Grant reached for him again, his fingertips brushing up against his forearm and making Craig change back.

 

"Want to get out of here with us?" Jewel asked, her jewelled lips scraping against his blush-red cheek.

 

Craig realised that they were serious. _One hundred and ten fucking percent serious_.

 

 _It didn't make any sense. Not to mention that he'd only just admitted to_ ** _himself_** _that he was pan; having_ ** _both_** _Jewel and Grant showing interest in him was_ ** _ridiculous_** _. It had to be a dream, surely. A really nice dream set in the weirdest place, or something_.

 

Grant's fingertips squeezed his forearm slightly, as though he could hear the disbelief in Craig's head and decided to tell him it wasn't a dream. _Or he was warning him; was someone was coming?_ Craig opened his eyes only to be faced with a view straight down Jewel's shirt. He swallowed hard and looked up at her.

 

Jewel shook her head and moved so she was leaning over him. "Stay still," she whispered.

 

Feeling like he was blushing from head to toe, Craig stayed as still as possible. A second later, Jetstream passed by with a tray of drinks for the students playing ten-pin bowling. With the way he was sitting, Jewel leaning over him looked like she was simply watching the bowlers, and even the way her arm was positioned protected his head from view. Grant and Jewel had stopped him from being found out, though Craig didn't know why.

 

"I... I've got to go," he said.

 

Jewel pouted, but stepped back when Grant let go of Craig's arm. Sighing audibly, Jewel smiled and winked down at Craig. "We'll keep planting those seeds, if you'd like."

 

"See you on Monday, babe," Grant added with a smirk.

 

Not knowing what to do or say, Craig just nodded and practically ran to get out of the arcade. Behind him, Jewel took the seat he'd just vacated and reached out for Grant's hand.

 

"It's all right, babe. She said to be patient," Grant said, kissing her hand.

 

"Patience isn't exactly my forte," Jewel replied with another sigh.

 

...

 

"You're here early. Is everything all right?" Ethan asked, frowning when Craig landed in front of the Stronghold's house.

 

"Yeah, everything's fine," Craig lied, smiling broadly. "Ready to get in there?" he asked, clapping his hands together.

 

Adam frowned at his best friend, obviously knowing that he was lying. He nodded after a long moment. "Find the spare key; I'll get started on bypassing the alarm system," he said.

 

Ethan and Craig set about finding the spare key that Layla had assured them was in the front yard under a rock.

 

"Found it," Craig said, holding the key up high.

 

"I found one, too," Ethan said, frowning at his own dirt-covered key. "Let me see yours," he said, taking the offered key. After cleaning them, he sat them flush against each other. Ethan promptly rolled his eyes and passed a key back to Craig. "They're the same key. They must've forgotten where they'd buried one," he said, melting the key down and letting the drop of water soak into his skin.

 

Craig snorted. "Nice."

 

"Alarm security's ready, you can open the door," Adam said, nodding to Craig.

 

Craig unlocked the door, pushing it open gingerly a moment later and waiting for the inevitable alarm to start blaring. Instead, a beeping noise came from the alarm system, the light turning green. "All right! Nice work, Adam. Now let's go steal all their shit," Craig said with a cackle.

 

Ethan and Adam both rolled their eyes, then followed their friend into the Stronghold's home, drops of water starting to form on Ethan's arm.

 

...

 

End of the sixty-second chapter.


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** Will coerces/manipulates Magenta into making out with him when she obviously doesn't want to. Please don't read the section between six dots if you're uncomfortable with this, i.e., ......

****"I already have the rest of the shareholders' agreement, Tate. Unanimous agreement will make this takeover a smoother process for everyone," Honey said.

 

"It sounds _easy_ , and I know life is anything _but_. So, why don't you sweeten the deal for me, Honey?" Tate asked.

 

"I'll see what I can do," she replied, forcing to keep the smile on her face.

 

Honey muted her headset and let out a frustrated groan. She'd spent the last _three hours_ trying to get Tate to agree to the takeover, but he was being difficult. Of course, she knew exactly what to do to get his agreement, but Honey didn't _want_ to go down that route. She knew that she was running out of options, out of possible threads to take, and the one that she'd been avoiding was _still_ the brightest despite three hours of avoidance. Honey reminded herself that she didn't always get what she wanted in life.

 

 _Not yet, at least_.

 

Inhaling and exhaling heavily, Honey smiled again and unmuted her headset. "How about we discuss this over dinner?"

 

"Now _that's_ more like it. We can talk work and see where the night leads us," Tate said, Honey covering her mouth so he wouldn't hear her gag.

 

After arranging a time and place, Honey ended the call and groaned again in annoyance. Picking up her mobile phone, Honey unlocked the screen and sent a message to her mother.

 

 _I have a date next Friday. Please don't ask me to do this again_.

 

...

 

"Now, I know we all have finals coming up, but it's Heidi's birthday next weekend. She'd really love it if you all came to her party," Zach said, handing out invitations at lunch on Monday.

 

"I'll be there," Layla said immediately.

 

"What do you think Heidi would like as a present?" Wendy asked.

 

"We can't all get her lights," Ethan added before Zach replied.

 

"We could. She could have fairy lights and Christmas lights and those weird novelty lights," he said.

 

"Dibs on the fairy lights," Wendy said.

 

"Aw, damn. I was..." Craig trailed off abruptly as Grant and Jewel walked past. Adam nudged him and Craig shook his head. "I was gonna get fairy lights. I saw a multi-coloured set in the store."

 

The others seemed confused at his sudden stop and start, but Craig ignored their expressions and ate his lunch.

 

"Which store had the multi-coloured set?" Wendy asked.

 

"Not telling you," Craig said quickly, grateful for the continuation in the conversation.

 

"Fine, I'll find another set of fairy lights," Wendy said.

 

"Don't buy too many; Anita will wonder why the electricity bill isn't changing," Zach said.

 

"You haven't told her about Heidi yet?" Layla asked in surprise.

 

"Uh, _no_."

 

"Why not?" Warren asked. "Sky High has a two-year waitlist. You'll be lucky to get Heidi on it at this rate."

 

"Dude, she's not coming here. My parents only agreed to pay the rest of my tuition because the courts said they had to; they're not going to pay for Heidi as well," he said, sipping at his juice.

 

"They don't have to," Ethan said, taking his phone out of his pocket and switching to the calculator. "With Mr. Phillips' contributions, you'll have enough to pay for Heidi's tuition here and a year or two of college, if you put a set amount in a high-interest savings account until that time," he said, tapping a few buttons and showing the result to Zach.

 

Zach promptly spat out his juice.

 

Ethan frowned and used Layla's offered napkin to clean his phone screen and the table. "Not to mention, Mum and Dad would pay for her education. They already agreed to it, and the private school they're planning on is actually more expensive than here. Not by much, admittedly."

 

"A _private_ school? Are you kidding?"

 

"It would afford Heidi more opportunities later in life," Ethan said. "They'd planned to send me there before I discovered my powers," he added with a shrug.

 

Zach didn't know what to look more stunned at: Anita and Richard planning on sending Heidi to private school, or the fact that he could have that amount of money by the time he was twenty.

 

"Have you thought of a present for Heidi, Adam?" Warren asked, toasting a student's lunch.

 

"Yeah. I'm creating a game for her."

 

"What?" Craig asked incredulously.

 

Adam shrugged. "I've got a fun idea for a game, so I thought she'd like it."

 

"Aw, you can't. Dude, that makes my present look lame."

 

"Then think of a better present," Adam said, swapping their puddings.

 

"You suck."

 

"You wish, Forge."

 

Ignoring Adam's retort, Craig looked down the table. "What are you getting for Heidi, Eth?"

 

"A new quilt cover and sheets."

 

"What? No, that's an old person present."

 

Ethan shrugged. "It's practical and Heidi already picked them out."

 

"See, this isn't fair; you get advanced notice 'cause she's your sister."

 

"What's your point?" Ethan asked, grinning.

 

"Wait, does that make Zach..."

 

" _No_ ," Ethan, Zach, and Donny all said in unison.

 

"Not going there. What about you, Lay?" Craig asked.

 

"A plant."

 

"That's your power, that's not fair."

 

"What's your point?" Layla asked, grinning.

 

Craig groaned. The only reason he didn't bang his head on the table was because he still had his lunch sitting there. "What about you, Warren?"

 

"Permanent fireball."

 

"What? You can _do_ that?! Oh, I hate you all," Craig muttered when he saw Warren grinning, their friends laughing and giggling.

 

...

 

"All right, everyone, settle down. I have an announcement," Jared said, waiting until they were all paying attention before continuing, "As you're reading Babel's autobiography, she has very kindly agreed to come in for Wednesday's class so you can ask her any questions you have. Yes, she'll even answer the sordid ones. In fact, she'd probably prefer them."

 

Wednesday's English for Heroes class was the last for the day, and then they had the foreign language class. Warren wondered if Jared had organised Babel's visit for that rather than English. If he had, Ethan was going to be ecstatic.

 

"Okay, so you should have read chapter four over the weekend; anyone have any comments?" Jared asked.

 

"Uh, are you sure, Mr. Bowie? It's Babel's college years," one student added.

 

Jared laughed and nodded. "Go ahead; I promise it's nothing I haven't heard already."

 

"I think it's interesting that Babel still didn't know what she wanted to do in college. Most memoirs have people knowing what they wanted to do since they were, like, three years old or something ridiculous. It was nice to read something where someone admitted they didn't know what they wanted, even when they were still in their early twenties," Warren said.

 

"All right, I stand corrected. I honestly thought someone would mention the orgy," Jared said. "Well, thank you for your input, Warren. That's very insightful, and I'd like to add that most people in their twenties, and sometimes thirties, still don't know what they want to do with their lives." Looking around the room, Jared hoped someone else would pick up the thread and continue with their own observations. "Anyone else? Come on, you can even discuss every filthy detail in the orgy if you want."

 

A slight cough came from the doorway and Jared looked over to see Principal Powers standing there. She smiled briefly. "If the... orgy discussion could be put on hold for a moment, I'd like to talk with you, Mr. Bowie."

 

"Of course, Principal Powers," Jared said, heading to the doorway and closing the door after his exit, even though he knew it meant nothing with some of the kids' powers.

 

"I'm sorry to interrupt your class, Jared. I just had a question about this application you put in this morning," Principal Powers said, showing the piece of paper to him.

 

"Yes?"

 

"Unfortunately, due to damages to the cafeteria earlier in the year, there's no longer a budget for external visitors to be brought here," she said apologetically.

 

In fact, there was _just_ enough money to hire another jet-powered taxi, but Principal Powers would prefer it remained in Sky High's account in case of emergencies. Especially if something happened to one of the buses again.

 

Jared frowned. "I thought I ticked the option to say they'd be coming without a cost to Sky High?" he said, looking to the offered paper. "Did I tick the wrong box?"

 

"Uh, yes, it looks that way. So Babel will be coming here _without_ needing a jet-powered taxi?" Principal Powers asked, unable to hide her relief.

 

"Not if she can help it. Babel has a jet-powered car," Jared said, taking a pen from his pocket and ticking the correct box. "Is that okay or do I need to resubmit the form?"

 

"This will be fine. Thank you for clearing up that misunderstanding, Jared."

 

"Not a problem, Principal Powers. I'll let Babel know the school's coordinates on the day," he added.

 

"Lovely. I look forward to meeting her," Principal Powers said, heading back to her office.

 

With that done, Jared headed back into the classroom where the students were sitting quietly and obviously eavesdropping. He hoped that Donny wouldn't repeat his thought about how that whole thing could have waited until _after_ his class had finished.

 

"Okay, so: orgy. Thoughts?"

 

...

 

"Hey, this is the extra-curricular class, right?" Ritchie asked.

 

"No, Ritch, it's obviously the book club," Jewel snarked.

 

"Don't look at me; that was a stupid question," Grant said, rolling his eyes.

 

"Come on in. We're practising our stamina today," Layla called, waving them into the gym.

 

Figuring practising their powers was the general basis for the extra-curricular class, Layla and her friends had agreed to work on their stamina again, just in case things with Ritchie, Grant, and Jewel went pear-shaped and they reported what they were really doing to Principal Powers.

 

"Where's the teacher?" Ritchie asked as he entered with Jewel and Grant.

 

"We have a deal with Mr. Medulla, and Nurse Spex sleeps on the other days," Warren said from where he was lit up in flames.

 

"So, what do you want me to do?" Grant asked, approaching Warren curiously.

 

"Do you have any control over your power?" Ethan asked curiously, reforming from his puddle nearby and scaring the three newcomers.

 

"Yeah, some," Grant said.

 

"What do you do?" Craig asked, curiosity overcoming him.

 

"I can stop affecting others' powers. It doesn't last for long, though," Grant replied.

 

"That's why we're working on our stamina," Layla admitted with a smile. "Why don't you try with Warren?"

 

"Jewel, would you like to practise, too? I can get a dummy out for you," Wendy offered.

 

"Yeah, that'd be good. Thanks."

 

"Have you been able to lift elements yet, Ritchie?" Warren asked.

 

"Not yet," Ritchie said, sounding frustrated about the fact.

 

"Great, you can try to lift me. It won't hurt," Ethan added, then promptly melted down.

 

"What are you doing, Zach?" Grant asked.

 

"Seeing how long I can glow," he replied.

 

"Uh, I can't see anything," Ritchie said with a frown.

 

Zach grinned and brightened his glow up to a fierce flash.

 

"Never mind. _Shit_ ," Ritchie groaned, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes.

 

Grant laughed and turned to Warren. "All right, how do you want to do this, Peace?"

 

"Do you need to be close by, or will that distance work?" Warren asked.

 

"This should be fine. In fact, you shouldn't be powered up right now; I haven't stopped my power yet," Grant added, frowning when Warren's flames continued.

 

"You'll have to try a bit harder than that," Warren replied with a smirk, folding his arms across his chest.

 

Grant grinned. "Is that a challenge?"

 

Across the gym, Layla laughed, her laughter being muffled by a cocoon of plants that sprung up to surround her.

 

"What on earth?" Jewel said incredulously. "Craig, what just happened?" she asked, looking to him.

 

Craig's form slipped from the Commander's almost instantly. "Uh... I don't know. I mean, I know. Layla's a plant super. She controls plants," he added, tripping over his words and tongue. "She's the one who created the apples for people last week, and saved the school last year by stringing Penny up by vines. I mean, if you didn't know that already. You probably knew that already," he added, his face turning red.

 

"I do know that. I just thought her power relied on having some actual plants or seeds nearby," Jewel said, sounding amused at Craig's flustering and blushing.

 

"Oh. Right. Um... The gym floor's made of wood?" Craig said weakly.

 

"Jewel, have you tried jewelling up someone else's power?" Adam called from his position on top of one of the five scrapyard cars Coach had brought up for him.

 

Jewel turned her attention to Adam. "How do you mean?"

 

Adam grinned and spat on a section of the car, ripping off the weakened section and carefully adding a layer of acid spit before sliding it along the floor to her.

 

"Right. I haven't tried, but let's see what happens," Jewel said, concentrating as she reached out for the odd-shaped section of metal and acidic spit.

 

In a matter of seconds, the metal was a sparkling jewel, and Adam's acidic spit was fighting against Jewel's power, neither gaining or losing an inch.

 

"Wow, you must have great control over your power, Adam. What do you think, Craig?" Jewel asked, turning only to find that he'd become a puddle like Ethan. "Okay... Can we try again?" she asked, heading over to Adam.

 

"Sure. I'll try a different acid this time," Adam said.

 

...

 

"All right, dude, sit down and spill," Adam said, setting his bag down and sitting on Craig's desk chair, pointing at the bed.

 

"Do you want some food? I want some food. I'm gonna go get some food," Craig said quickly, backing out of his bedroom.

 

"I will spit on you and your damn food if you don't tell me what the hell's going on," Adam warned.

 

Craig bit his tongue and let out a frustrated groan, closing his bedroom door and sitting on his bed. "Y'know how I went to Will's party as Jewel?"

 

"Yeah, that was part of the plan since we knew she wasn't going."

 

Craig nodded. "Yep. It was going fine until Jewel turned up."

 

"She ratted you out? Is that why you were at the Stronghold's early?" Adam asked.

 

"No, she didn't rat me out. Neither did Grant, who figured out I wasn't Jewel before she'd even arrived. They... they covered for me, and made sure I didn't get caught by Jetstream."

 

"Okay. That doesn't explain why you're acting like an idiot whenever they're around," Adam said pointedly.

 

Craig blushed and flopped back onto his bed, covering his face with his hands before mumbling his response.

 

"You're gonna have to repeat that, dude."

 

"They flirted with me. _Both_ of them."

 

Adam sighed and shook his head. "You didn't do that weird pick-up line from Blue McQueen, did you?"

 

"No, I didn't even think of it. Besides, I couldn't shift with Grant, y'know, touching me 'n stuff."

 

"Where did he touch you? Do I need to call the counsellor?" Adam asked.

 

"Super Jesus, Adam, _no_. What the hell?" Craig asked as he sat up, seeing his friend calm and obviously waiting for him to sit up again.

 

"Why are you upset that they flirted with you? You're attracted to them, aren't you?"

 

"Yes. But... Dude, I only _just_ admitted that I'm pan. I wasn't expecting _two_ people to start flirting with me, like a week later."

 

"It's been more like a month," Adam replied. "Is it because it'd be a polyamorous relationship?"

 

"No? I don't know. I freaked, okay? They're both seniors, gorgeous, Grant's super smart and kind of an asshole as well, which apparently works for me? Then Jewel's snarky and she offered to keep putting little seeds of doubt in people's heads for me, and that's not exactly Hero stuff, so I just... I don't know what to do."

 

"Be yourself."

 

Craig shifted through three different forms in a matter of seconds. "Which one?"

 

" _You_ , you dork. They obviously like you, though _why's_ beyond me," Adam said, smirking. "Hell, if you're with Grant, you'll _have_ to be yourself."

 

Craig swallowed hard at that and shook his head. "No way, dude. They can't like _me_ -me. They've gotta like a different version of me. It doesn't make sense any other way."

 

"Dude, _that_ doesn't make any sense. Grant likes you, Jewel likes you, they both like you-you. You're the only you there is," Adam said. "C'mon, if they liked any of the other versions of you, don't you think they'd ask those supers out instead? You've been nearly everyone at school, but they still only asked _you_."

 

Craig bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. "Nah, dude. They were just screwing with me. That's all it was," he said firmly, getting up and leaving for the kitchen.

 

"You're being an idiot," Adam called after him.

 

Craig ignored his best friend, since he obviously didn't know what he was talking about.

 

...

 

"Do I look okay? Is my tie straight? Are you sure there's no sauce on my shirt?"

 

"Eth, calm down. You look amazing, okay? In fact, if we weren't doing this class, I'd be making out with you," Zach said, adding a few ASL signed words that made Ethan's eyes widen.

 

Adam recognised the signed words and wrinkled his nose at their meaning. "Dude, I hope you don't sign that in front of your sister."

 

Zach waved him off. "Nah, and if I'd known you knew what it meant, I wouldn't have signed it here either."

 

"Good, remember that next time," Adam said.

 

"Dude, what did he sign?" Craig asked, looking between Zach and Adam.

 

"I'll tell you when you're older."

 

"Asshole."

 

"You love me."

 

"Not the point, dude. Like, at all," Craig said.

 

"You're scarring the freshmen, Forge," Ritchie said, snickering.

 

"No, he's not," one of the freshmen said indignantly.

 

Grant reached forward to cuff Ritchie on the back of the head. "If you have a problem with something, say that; don't hide behind the freshmen."

 

Ritchie rubbed the back of his head. "Fine, it's weird that you're telling him you love him."

 

"Why?" Craig asked.

 

"'Cause you're friends. Right?"

 

"Yeah, what's your point?" Adam asked.

 

"You shouldn't be saying that shit."

 

Craig snorted and rolled his eyes. "Love you, Eth."

 

"Love you too, Craig," Ethan replied with a bright smile.

 

"See, who'd that hurt? No one, that's who."

 

"Love you, Adam," Zach called, waving at him like an idiot from across the room.

 

"Yeah, I love you too, you dork."

 

Zach laughed and blew a kiss his way. Craig dove in front of Adam, dramatically catching the kiss. "Hey, that wasn't meant for you!" Zach called.

 

"Oh, yeah? Well, what if I do this?" Craig said, smearing the caught 'kiss' on Donny's cheek, Donny laughing and pushing him away. "Aw, love you, Don."

 

"Ah, no, my kiss!" Zach cried out.

 

Ethan laughed and tugged Zach over the desk to kiss him. "There, better now?"

 

"Hmm, might need another one."

 

"Two minutes late and everyone's descended into mayhem," Layla said, shaking her head.

 

"Chaos, not mayhem," Warren said, grinning beside her. "What are you doing, Craig?"

 

"Spreading love," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

 

"Sounds contagious," Warren said, starting to cough a noise that sounded similar to 'love you'.

 

"I promised my mother she'd be meeting a well-behaved group of students. Are you making a liar out of me already?" Jared asked.

 

"No, Mr. Bowie," they chorused.

 

Warren and Layla hurried to sit down. Jared looked down the hallway and then left to guide his mother to the classroom.

 

"You don't need to hold my hand, Jared. I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own."

 

"I know. Maybe I just like holding your hand," Jared teased, kissing his mother's cheek before opening the classroom door wide. "Mother, my foreign language class. Class, this is my mother, Babel."

 

Ethan's eyes widened and he promptly melted. Beside him, Zach shook his head and toed at the puddle his boyfriend had become. "Sorry, Mr. Bowie. He's just really nervous."

 

"Why on earth is he nervous?" Babel asked.

 

"Ethan's a huge fan of yours," Zach said proudly.

 

"Oh, well, that's certainly nothing to be nervous about. Up you pop, then," Babel said.

 

Ethan reformed, looking like he was close to hyperventilating. "Pleasure to meet you, Babel."

 

"You too, young man. Please, call me Babs."

 

Ethan bubbled something unintelligible.

 

"C'mon, Eth. Breathe. In and out, there you go," Warren said, placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder to help warm and calm him.

 

"Sorry. I'm so sorry. This doesn't usually happen."

 

"Funny, that's exactly what Jared's father said on our wedding night."

 

Wendy burst out laughing, Jewel and Donny laughing as well, while Babel grinned and Jared looked like he had expected nothing less from his mother.

 

"All right, introductions. Name, power, hero or hero support," Babel said, pointing at each of them for their answer, all of the students responding in under ten minutes. "That was lovely. All perfect responses; it's exactly what I'd expect from this fine institution. Now, a different kind of introduction: your name, power, and when you're my age, what do you want to have achieved in your life?"

 

"Ethan, I melt, and... I don't know. Um, being a respected journalist?" he said, frowning in confusion.

 

"Good start. All right, what about you?" Babel asked, indicating to Grant.

 

"I'm Grant, I have immunity as a power, and I'd like to be in a loving relationship," he replied.

 

"That would certainly be an achievement," Babel said with a nod. "Okay, your turn."

 

"Warren, fire, and... change."

 

Babel tilted her head slightly at Warren's answer, obviously expecting more. "All right. Jared said you know ASL? Would you like to expand on your answer?"

 

Warren glanced to Layla, who gave a slight nod. The others didn't know what Warren would say, but it would be obvious it would be a different answer from the one he'd said aloud.

 

Signing his name and his power, Warren hesitated at the final answer. _Changing the world_.

 

Babel smiled and signed back. _By domination?_

 

Beside Warren, Layla signed, _together_.

 

Raising an eyebrow, Babel nodded. _Good luck_ , she signed with all the knowledge of someone who had been dealing with the citizens' government system for most of her life and still hadn't been able to create much change, despite her initial intentions.

 

"What just happened?" Ritchie asked, looking between Warren and Layla, and Babel.

 

"Your turn," Babel said with a bright smile, nodding for Ritchie to answer.

 

...

 

"Thank you for the invite, Jared dear. I'm still invited to the barbecue, right? I didn't embarrass you too much for you to rescind the offer?" Babel asked, grinning at her son.

 

"No, the offer still stands. Better luck next time," Jared said with a grin of his own. "Are you going to tell me what that ASL thing was?"

 

"American Sign Language. They're using a local dialect of it, at least," Babel said, straightening his tie. "Come on, I'll drive you home. Yours or Sarah's?" she added.

 

"Sarah's, please. And you know I didn't mean about which dialect they were using."

 

"Hmm, yes, I know. Wasn't it nice of those young children to start petitioning the UN on my behalf? Admittedly, it would be lovely to have some more super help against some of the UN representatives. Greedy bastards," Babel muttered, heading through the school and to the parking lot where her jet-powered car was parked.

 

Knowing that he'd never get an answer from his mother when she was like this, Jared just sighed and followed her out to her car.

 

...

 

"You guys realise you're not the only ones that know ASL, right?" Grant asked.

 

"What do you mean?" Layla asked with a smile.

 

Beside her, Warren tensed and readied to power up.

 

Grant rolled his eyes. "Oh, calm down. I'm not going to do anything stupid. I want in."

 

"Same," Jewel said.

 

"What? Why?" Craig asked, suddenly feeling as though they might have wanted him for this, for an in with Layla and Warren, not for him.

 

"Neither of us have ever played Save the Citizen, we're shunned by most of the students at Sky High because of our powers, and we can't pass for _normal_ in the citizens' world," Jewel said.

 

"We don't want normal, or if we do, then we want to remake _us_ as normal," Grant added. "There's nothing wrong with us," he said firmly.

 

There was a moment of silence at Grant and Jewel's announcements, the roar of the rocket exhausts the only noise heard at the back of the bus.

 

"All right. What about you, Ritchie?" Warren asked.

 

He shrugged. "I don't care, but I'm not going to do something stupid, either. I'm pretty sure at least three of you would kill me," Ritchie said.

 

"Which three?" Ethan asked curiously.

 

"Wendy, Warren, and Zach."

 

"Me?" Zach asked in surprise.

 

"Yeah. That light flash thing you did last week _killed_ my eyes for hours, man. If you did a full blast, I'd probably be blind. And, I don't know, you might push me off the edge of the school or something."

 

"Thanks for the idea," Zach said, laughing when Ritchie paled.

 

"So, are we in, or is there some sort of initiation rite we need to go through to prove our undying loyalty?" Grant asked, grinning.

 

Layla laughed. "Not yet, but we'll think of something."

 

"Dude, you okay?" Adam asked Craig quietly.

 

"Fine," Craig said shortly, unclipping his belt and going to the back so he could cuddle Warren.

 

"You tired again?" Warren asked, curling an arm around his shoulders.

 

"Yeah."

 

Donny didn't say anything about Craig's lie, caught up in Craig's memory of his father yelling at him when he was ten years' old to _be_ ** _normal_** _, be_ ** _normal_** _like your sister, why couldn't he just be_ ** _normal_** _like everyone else?_ So, Craig became just like everyone else.

 

 _We don't want normal_ , Grant had said.

 

Craig couldn't believe that Grant had meant it. _Everyone wanted_ ** _normal_**.

 

...

 

"All right, hippie. We're doing this together," Warren said firmly.

 

"Doing what?" Layla asked, confused and surprised at being interrupted in the middle of her homework.

 

"Growing the trees for AAA. I don't want you worn out again; you almost fainted last time."

 

"Okay."

 

"Wait, what?" Warren said in surprise; he'd expected more of an argument.

 

"It's a good idea," Layla said, kissing his cheek. "I'd love your help, thank you, Warren."

 

"Okay then. You're not going to go out and grow them without telling me, are you?"

 

Layla shook her head. "No. I'm still waiting for Patrick to get back to me about the plot of land and types of trees. I don't want to grow elm if he needs oak, or something like that."

 

"Good point. Well, let me know when he does tell you."

 

"I will. How did you go with Mad Science last year? I'm still having difficulty with the vat of household chemicals. I'm sure I'm missing something," Layla said, showing Warren the piece of paper.

 

"Window cleaner?" Warren suggested.

 

"Oh, that will work. Thank you," Layla said, kissing his cheek.

 

"Does that mean you're finished with your homework?" he asked.

 

"All done," she replied.

 

"Good, because if I remember correctly, we were meant to be celebrating my birthday," Warren teased, drawing her in for a deep kiss.

 

......

 

"It's my birthday, why are you being such a bitch?" Will asked, glaring.

 

"I'm not! I'm not being a bitch, Will, I just asked you a question! We had a date yesterday and you didn't show up!" Magenta said.

 

"You didn't have to ask in front of everyone like that!"

 

"It was _three_ people! Two were your parents! Larry already knew, since he was there with his girlfriend and saw me getting stood up!" she replied, incredulous that he was being so ridiculous about this; _she'd just asked him a question_.

 

Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what date you're talking about, Magenta. I was doing homework last night."

 

"So, what, you spaced out on our date?"

 

"No!"

 

"So you just didn't show up?"

 

"There was no date to show up to! I don't even _like_ Chinese food."

 

Magenta bit her cheek and turned away, hating how her eyes stung with tears. This morning, Will had admitted he had no idea what her favourite meal was at the _Paper Lantern_ , and now he was saying they hadn't even agreed to go on a date, even though he'd been the one to ask her.

 

"Do you even _want_ to date me?" she asked, her voice small.

 

"Of course I do. I like spending time with you and, uh, making out with you," Will said, resting a hand on her shoulder and caressing her skin gently. "Come on, come to bed. We'll make out and you'll feel better."

 

"I don't want to, Will. I'm upset with you," Magenta said, shrugging his hand off her.

 

"I thought you loved me?"

 

"I... I do. I can still be upset with you."

 

Will pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Come on, Maj. We'll both feel better if we make out for a while. Or do you hate me now?"

 

"I don't _hate_ you, Will," Magenta protested feebly.

 

"Feels like you do," he said, pulling away.

 

A sudden fear clenched at her that Will would break up with her. She _did_ love him, so why was she being so stubborn? Making out was fun, it was easy, she could still be upset with him even if they made out, right? Then Will would know that she still loved him, that she didn't hate him. The memory of being alone every day on the bus made Magenta feel cold; if she didn't have Will, she'd be all alone again. Larry wouldn't pay any attention to her, and Ben and Lisa were too wrapped up in each other to notice her.

 

Licking her lips nervously, Magenta turned and looked Will. "I don't hate you, Will."

 

"You'd make out with me if you really loved me. You can't love me if you hate me," Will said with a pout, not looking as though he believed her words.

 

_Actions spoke louder than words, right?_

 

Magenta ignored the feeling of nausea in her stomach and moved to kiss Will, to prove that she loved him.

 

......

 

"Did you hear about Blue McQueen?"

 

"What's going on, hippie?" Warren asked, frowning when he realised that _everyone_ on the bus seemed to be talking about the same thing across aisles and seats, rather than the usual clique- or homework-specific conversations.

 

"Blue McQueen did an interview with _Labyrinth_ for the _The Commander and Jetstream vs. King Kamehamayhem_ remake movie. She said the director pressured her into having sex with him and the studio tried to pay for her silence. It's sparked a huge online following. Other actors and actresses are saying the same director or the studio's done the same thing with them, and everyday citizens and supers are relating their own experiences."

 

"Super Jesus," Warren muttered, reading some of the messages on Layla's phone over her shoulder. "Jetstream and the Commander won't want that sort of publicity for their new movie, will they?"

 

"No, they won't. I'm hoping they'll actually say something useful. They could positively change the stigma around people coming forward with these sorts of stories; people would be believed, rather than being attacked and called a slut or whore," Layla added in distaste.

 

"What?" Warren snarled.

 

Layla handed her phone over so he could see the replies some of the stories had resulted in. "I've already got Adam working on them, but there's so many. It's depressing," she admitted.

 

Warren scrolled through the responses, feeling his hand heating at the words and accusations people were slinging without thought for the people at the other end. Layla received a message in the group chat and Warren handed her phone back before he melted it. He shook his hand out to cool it before taking his own phone out to read the message.

 

"It's audio. Adam said to listen to it with headphones," Layla said, digging in her bag to pull out a pair of earbuds. She offered one to Warren and pressed play when they were both ready.

 

On realising what they were actually hearing, Layla lit up in flames, her earbuds destroyed in a flash. Beside her, Warren hurried to put the flames out, though he felt like doing the exact same thing himself.

 

Thanks to Ethan's microphone water drops throughout the Stronghold house, they could hear Will pressuring Magenta into making out with him, and then going further.

 

"I'm going to throw him off the edge of the school," Layla snapped.

 

"You can't, hippie. He flies, remember?" Warren muttered, holding her hand to keep her power tamped down. "We can, however, do something else."

 

Layla turned to him, her eyes bright green. "Tell me."

 

...

 

End of the sixty-third chapter.


	64. Chapter 64

Magenta walked into the cafeteria, feeling as though everyone was staring at her. It felt as though they all knew what she'd done, that it was written above her head in neon lights, advertised to the world. She didn't feel like a woman, she didn't feel loved, she simply felt _sick_. It was only years of control that stopped her from shifting and running to hide in a dark space.

 

Taking a tray from the cafeteria line, Magenta grabbed the first things she saw, only skipping the pizza because even in her dazed state, she knew better.

 

Conversations about Blue McQueen abounded around the cafeteria, no longer whispers and hushed comparisons, but loud and full-on words and arguments. The counsellor was booked from morning to afternoon, not that Magenta checked. It was just something that she noticed as she passed by the door that she didn't usually pass; the time slots all filled with 'booked' in giant red letters. The next appointment wasn't available until Thursday morning.

 

"It's absolutely true; Lady Peregrine said the same thing about him - "

 

"He plied her with alcohol and threatened her - "

 

 _Super Jesus, even the freshmen were talking about it_. Magenta thought they might have been spared it, kept some of their _innocence_ , but they looked as incensed as the seniors.

 

"He coerced her into doing it. She didn't _want_ to - "

 

Layla's voice was clear over the din of noise, and Magenta slowed her steps so she could listen. She vaguely noticed that Donny wasn't in the cafeteria and wondered if the students' thoughts would be too much for him.

 

"It's just like Lustful; her first boyfriend said she'd prove her love for him if she had sex with him. He manipulated her, he pressured her into having sex with him. Sure, it just started off with some making out, and since she agreed to that, it sounds innocent enough. But he kept going and didn't stop when she said no."

 

Magenta felt numb and the tray dropped from her hands. Her control finally slipped and she shifted, running from the cafeteria as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.

 

"I'll clean it up," Ethan said, standing and collecting the fallen tray, using napkins to clean the spilled food. He set the pudding and juice on the table since they hadn't broken, and set Magenta's phone beside them. "Don't eat Magenta's lunch," he said before taking the tray to put away and rubbish to the bin.

 

"I wasn't gonna eat her lunch. I was thirsty," Zach muttered, setting the juice back down.

 

"Where's Will?" Craig asked, not seeing him in the cafeteria.

 

"Emergency in Westville," Adam said without looking up from his phone.

 

"Six car pile up on the highway. They went too fast on a windy road," Wendy added.

 

"Nice control," Craig said with a grin.

 

"Thanks."

 

"They've all been saved; ambulance is on the way for a fractured leg and a broken collarbone," Adam said, looking at the highway camera feed.

 

"Good to know. I'm getting lunch for Donny; he's in with the counsellor at the moment. Anyone else want anything?" Wendy asked as she stood up.

 

"Can you get me another juice, please?" Zach asked.

 

"Sure. Any flavour?"

 

"Not grape or raspberry; Zach'll be climbing the walls in Mad Science," Ethan said.

 

"Fine, apple," Zach said with a sigh.

 

"Stop reading the social feeds, hippie. You've already destroyed your headphones, I'd prefer to leave the cafeteria unscathed," Warren said, resting a hand on her forearm gently.

 

She was hot to touch, even for him.

 

"The Commander and Jetstream have released a statement," Layla replied tersely. "They're standing by the director and studio."

 

"What?" Craig asked incredulously. "Dude, where's the statement?" he asked Adam, tugging at his sleeve.

 

"I'm typing, stop it," Adam said, finishing his search before bringing up Jetstream and the Commander's statement, sending a link through their group chat for the others to see as well.

 

Craig read the screen next to him, and across the table, Ethan and Zach were reading the statement on Ethan's phone as well.

 

Wendy returned, frowning when she saw everyone reading in silence on their phones. "What'd I miss?"

 

"Jetstream and the Commander released a statement," Zach said, taking the juice from her with thanks.

 

"They're siding with the studio and director, not Blue McQueen," Craig added.

 

"Super Jesus, that's bad," Wendy murmured, sitting and taking up her phone to see the link Adam had sent.

 

"What's made you all go so quiet?" Ritchie asked curiously on the table behind Zach and Ethan. "You were talking non-stop for twenty minutes, then it fell to dead silence," he explained.

 

"Did you hear what we were talking about?" Wendy asked curiously.

 

"Nah, too much noise for that. It's just the lack of noise, y'know?" Ritchie said. "So, what's going on?"

 

"Jetstream and the Commander released a statement siding with the studio," Adam replied.

 

"Fuck. Seriously?"

 

"I'll send you the link. What's your number?" Wendy asked.

 

Ritchie rattled off his number and soon received a text with the link. He shared it with his friends at his table, the news continuing to spread around the cafeteria. The students' noise reduced to whispers of confusion and disbelief.

 

_Would the Commander and Jetstream_ **_really_ ** _do this? Would they side with studio making them money, rather than Blue McQueen?_

 

"They've gotta have a good reason for siding with the studio, right?" Ben asked Lisa.

 

"Yeah. They're good people, they're superheroes," Larry added.

 

Lisa didn't look as convinced. "They're good superheroes, _great_ even, but... people sometimes make mistakes," she said, glancing across the cafeteria to where Wendy was sitting. "I'm going to look into it," she said, standing and taking Ben's hand so he'd leave with her.

 

Larry looked to his girlfriend. "What do you think?"

 

"About what?"

 

Larry winced; he'd forgotten he wasn't dating her for her brain. "Uh, never mind."

 

Magenta's phone vibrated on the table with an incoming message.

 

Adam looked over briefly, then flipped to an app on his own phone. "It's from Will. Asking about a date on Friday to make up for the one he missed. _Glass Mirror_ , fancy."

 

"Great. Reply that she'll meet him there," Warren said.

 

"Will he believe that after what happened last time?" Ethan asked.

 

"Fine, ask him to pick her up, but delete both messages from Magenta's phone," he said, Adam nodding and replying to Will's message.

 

Over in Westville, Will grinned at his girlfriend's easy response to his offer of a date. Magenta hadn't seemed that happy when she'd left yesterday morning, so he hoped the expensive date - one he'd actually attend this time - would smooth over any problems.

 

Returning his attention to the reporter on scene, Will smiled charmingly at the blonde woman, who was asking him his thoughts on his parents' recent statement.

 

"Wendy, would you help me look for Magenta so we can return her phone to her?" Layla asked.

 

"Sure. Bathrooms?" Wendy suggested as she stood up.

 

"Good idea; they're darkest if she can get into a corner."

 

"Think we can convince Magenta to go to Heidi's birthday party on Friday?" Zach asked.

 

"Do you really want to spoil your sister's birthday?"

 

"Are you kidding? She'll have the chance to tell Magenta off for dumping me. Hmm, on second thought, maybe not; Heids might fry her."

 

Craig snickered. "At least it'd be entertaining."

 

Finding Magenta huddled behind a toilet, Layla and Wendy coaxed her out and encouraged her to return to her human form. Sitting on the toilet seat, Magenta put her head in her hands. "I feel like shit."

 

"You look like shit," Wendy agreed.

 

Layla glared at her friend, then turned her attention to Magenta. "You dropped your phone in the cafeteria, and you haven't eaten anything yet. Are you hungry?" she said, offering her phone.

 

"Kinda? Not really? I don't know," Magenta said, shoving her phone in her pocket, unable to meet their eyes.

 

"Do you want pudding or juice? They're the only things that survived," Wendy added, offering both to her.

 

Taking the juice, Magenta sipped slowly and hoped her churning stomach would settle. "Thanks. I didn't think anyone would care if I ran out of there," she admitted quietly.

 

"Of course I care. You're my friend, Magenta," Layla said.

 

"I could be your friend. If you want, of course, I'm not going to force you," Wendy added.

 

Magenta promptly turned and threw up into the toilet. Layla made soothing noises and patted her back gently, holding her hair back.

 

"Wendy, could you get Nurse Spex, please?" Layla asked over her shoulder.

 

"Sure, be right back," Wendy said.

 

Her stomach empty, Magenta flushed the toilet and sat on the floor, her knees curled up to her chest, her back pressed to the cubicle wall, and her face pale.

 

"Are you feeling better now? Want to talk about it?" Layla asked when Magenta shook her head.

 

"No. I... I just ate some bad food," she lied.

 

"That might work with Nurse Spex, Magenta, but I know you didn't eat anything at lunch. You dropped your food next to my table, remember?"

 

Magenta bit her tongue and lowered her head onto her knees, wishing that Nurse Spex would hurry up already.

 

"Did you enjoy Will's party?" Layla asked, obviously trying to take Magenta's mind off feeling sick and not knowing that it made her feel worse.

 

"I don't want to talk about it. Please, can we just sit here quietly until Nurse Spex comes?"

 

"All right," Layla said, moving to sit next to Magenta on the floor, putting an arm around her shoulders.

 

Magenta realised then that she was crying, and she accepted the toilet paper Layla offered, wiping her tears and blowing her nose noisily, throwing the wad into the toilet. She wanted to apologise, to explain, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, Magenta just cried against Layla's shoulder and tried not to feel like shit.

 

Wendy finally returned with Nurse Spex. The school nurse took one look at Magenta, shook her head with a tut, then led her to the nurse's office where she could look over her properly and in all likelihood, send her home for the rest of the day.

 

...

 

"William Theodore Stronghold!" Josie snapped as the door opened.

 

Will winced at his mother's tone and wondered if he could fly away before she... Nope, she was already in the foyer. "Uh, hi, Mum. What's wrong? I'm on my lunch break, not skipping school. I was running late this morning, so I didn't get a chance to get anything to eat," he said quickly.

 

"I thought we taught you better? It's all over the news!"

 

"What... what is? The pile-up on the highway?" Will asked in confusion.

 

"No! You _disagreeing_ with our statement!" Josie said, indicating to the lounge room where the news was playing.

 

Will saw himself on TV - Airborne, not _Airhorn_ , thank you, Mrs. Gawler - and watched as the reporter asked him about his views on his parents' most recent statement.

 

"Uhh. They have their opinions, and y'know, are probably right. They could be wrong, though. You'd probably have to ask them about it," Will rambled off nervously, not wanting to admit that he had no idea what 'statement' he was being asked about.

 

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Steve asked sternly, hands on his hips.

 

"I don't know? I don't even know what statement Tasha was talking about?!"

 

Steve frowned. "Who's Tasha?"

 

Will blushed. "Oh, uh, the reporter. Y'know, she said to call her Tasha, and I thought it was a good idea to be friendly with the media."

 

Josie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Not _that_ friendly, Will. Super Jesus, you're _trying_ to ruin our reputation, aren't you?"

 

"What? Of course not! I'm... I thought I did a good thing?" Will asked, his voice falling.

 

"You did, son. You saved those citizens," Steve said with a firm nod.

 

"Yes. That was a good thing," Josie said after a long moment of silence. "But you need to work on your media and communication skills. I have an appointment with Principal Powers to discuss your sidekick. I'll also talk with her about getting you enrolled in a higher grade's communication skills class, since you obviously need it. Did you look at the sidekick options I left for you yesterday?"

 

"Uh, yes. I totally read them over. I want Magenta."

 

"She... she wasn't one of the options, Will," Josie said.

 

While Magenta _had_ complimented Josie on Will's birthday party, she didn't think that her image would be suitable for the public.

 

"I know that. I still want her. We work well together, and I... I love her," Will said defiantly.

 

Josie wondered if shaking Will by the shoulders would knock some common sense into him; of course he thought it was love, he was sixteen, and Magenta was - underneath it all - a pretty girl.

 

It was as though the realisation had just hit her and she'd never noticed it before. _A makeover, under the pretence of a day out together to get to know each other better_ , she mused. With enough guidance - _subtle_ , of course - Magenta could be moulded into exactly what Josie, what _Will_ , needed her to be.

 

"Of course. That's brilliant, Will. If you already work well together, that's half the battle won. Why don't I text Magenta and ask her on a girl's day out for the weekend? I can get to know her better, and it _must_ be serious if you love her," Josie said, trying her hardest not to scoff.

 

She refused to let herself think how Will had said the same thing of Layla only half a year ago.

 

"Really? Uh, yeah, sure. Okay, I'm sure she'd love that," Will said, pulling his phone out to get Magenta's number for his mother.

 

"Blue McQueen's interview revealed she was pressured into sex by the director of the new _The Commander and Jetstream vs. King Kamehamayhem_ movie," the reporter said on the TV. "It has resulted in support and scorn by both supers and citizens across the world. The Commander and Jetstream released a statement this morning stating that they were supporting the movie studio and director, and that they were sorry this had to happen during filming."

 

"Mum, Dad, you _didn't_ ," Will said, his jaw hanging open.

 

"They're taking it out of context," Josie said, turning the TV off as the image of herself and the Commander appeared at a podium. "She's just doing it for attention, anyway."

 

"Besides, she didn't stop him, how could he have pressured her into it?" Steve added, looking to his wife for confirmation that he'd said the right thing.

 

Will thought about his own words to Magenta, how he'd turned making out into something more, and his stomach churned. _No, it was different with her. He hadn't pressured her. They loved each other, it was different. Totally_.

 

"Will, Magenta's number?" Josie prompted.

 

Swallowing hard and forcing himself to ignore his stomach - he was just hungry, that's all - Will nodded and read out Magenta's number.

 

"Thank you. Now, you said you came home for lunch?" his mother asked with a bright smile, leading him through to the kitchen.

 

...

 

Honey tried to smile at Tate, but the action fell short. Tate didn't seem to notice, still talking about himself, his ideas for the business once the current CEO was booted out, completely ignoring anything other than himself and his own words.

 

Honey had already tried to discuss the takeover three times, about the ideas **_she_** had for the business - there was a reason she was taking it over as CEO, rather than buying out the shareholders like she usually did - but Tate had ignored her, talked over her, and steamrolled over her until his voice was the only sound. She wondered if he'd even notice if she left halfway through dinner and didn't return.

 

 _Maybe setting a mirror in her seat would have him preening at his reflection like a bird?_ Honey mused, her mouth twitching at the thought.

 

Thinking ahead to the future, Honey almost sighed audibly in relief when she saw that the date would end sooner than she'd expected.

 

Their food arrived, the waiter giving Honey a pitying look as they set the plates down.

 

"Tate, that's mine," Honey said.

 

Still ignoring her, Tate started to eat, talking between bites and waving his fork around like he was conducting. After a few minutes, Tate coughed and frowned at the plate in front of him. "Are there... peanuts in this?" he asked with another cough, his throat starting to swell.

 

"As I tried to say earlier, that's **my** meal; satay chicken," Honey said. "Left pocket," she added, nodding to his jacket pocket.

 

Tate coughed and wheezed, patting all of his pockets before finding his EpiPen in the top left pocket and stabbing himself, breathing deeply in relief a moment later.

 

Honey dropped a few notes on the table to cover her dinner. Not even the dessert would be worth sitting there with Tate for another minute longer. "Thank you for making this _easy_ for me, Tate," she said, standing up as she scrolled through her phone. "Sarah, buy out Tate's shares directly," Honey said as she left the restaurant.

 

"Can I do it in the morning?" Sarah asked with a grin.

 

"Oh, fine."

 

"Bad date, then?" Sarah asked.

 

"I think he went on a date with himself, rather than me. Besides, he had the _worst_ ideas for the business. I don't want him anywhere near it if that's what he thinks will be useful."

 

"That sucks. Want me to tell your mother?"

 

"You're with her? Oh, the wedding plans. In that case, yes."

 

"Yeah. I lost a fiver; Edith had the puffy dresses, not Hyacinth."

 

"Oh, please don't do that to me."

 

"Depends on whether you'll accept my holiday application," Sarah said, grinning.

 

"Blackmail? I knew I liked you for a reason," Honey teased. "Of course I'm accepting it, even though I'll miss you terribly. I mean that, by the way; Zona will be coming in for an interview."

 

"Then I'm definitely leaving. All right, I'll tell your mother you had a horrible date, and I'll steer them away from the puffy dresses."

 

"You're amazing, Sarah."

 

She laughed brightly. "I know. Drive safe."

 

"Thanks, I will."

 

Honey ended the call, threw her phone on the passenger seat, and turned on her car's ignition to drive home. Even without her power, Honey knew that she'd enjoy the rest of the night by herself far more than she would have if she'd left with Tate. At least she could get herself off, which was more than could be said for Tate in the other thread of reality. Honey was glad when that thread disappeared and resulted in a happy ending for herself instead.

 

...

 

"Will? What are you doing here?" Magenta asked in surprise.

 

"Our date? I'm taking you to the _Glass Mirror_ ," Will prompted.

 

"Oh. That's... nice. A bit last minute," Magenta added to herself under her breath.

 

"Did you forget the time?" he asked, following her inside.

 

Seeing the Yolanda family set up in the dining room around a large Monopoly board, Will realised that Magenta must have forgotten about their date.

 

_He wasn't the only one spacing out on their dates, now, was he?_

 

"Uh, Mama, Papa, Will's going to take me to the _Glass Mirror_ on a date. Now," Magenta added, wincing.

 

Mrs. Yolanda muttered something to her husband, who put a hand over hers and squeezed gently. He smiled at his daughter. "That is very nice. You should change out of your pyjamas though, _querido_ ," Mr. Yolanda said. (Dearest)

 

Magenta blushed on realising she was wearing her worst clothes, complete with gnawed holes and food stains. "I'll be right back," she said, rushing out of the lounge room.

 

"Saw you on the news, Will. Getting real friendly with the reporters, aren't you?" Cyan said, glaring at him.

 

Will wondered if could take Cyan on; he was in college and a citizen, as well as Magenta's brother, and he doubted she'd like him beating her brother up. "Uh, I... I was just being nice."

 

Cyan said something under his breath, not quiet enough for his mother's hearing, who snapped at him not to swear. All of this was said in Spanish, so Will found himself standing there awkwardly and not understanding a thing.

 

"All right, ready. Do you think this is okay?" Magenta asked, wearing a purple shirt with a long grey skirt, probably to hide her purple boots.

 

"You look great, Magenta," Will said, relieved that she'd returned so soon.

 

"Enjoy your date, _querido_. Mami, sit, she will be fine. Airborne will look after her, won't he?" Mr. Yolanda said firmly.

 

"Yes, sir. I will," he agreed with a nod.

 

"Bye, Mama, Papa. Enjoy the game. Love you," Magenta said, kissing her parents cheeks, then kissing Cy and Cer's cheeks just to rile them up.

 

Magenta blushed when she saw Will watching and hurried to lead him outside. Will held her close as he flew them up into the sky and over to Westville for their date.

 

...

 

Magenta hated how _nervous_ she felt on their date. Will had either been saving Westville citizens during their lunch breaks, or going home because he forgot food or money, or spending time in the library because he hadn't finished any of his homework for the week. She'd hardly seen him since last Sunday, and she didn't think he even knew that she'd gone home sick on Monday.

 

"Uh. Did you get my mum's message?" Will asked once they'd placed their orders, the conversation grounding to a halt soon after.

 

Magenta nodded. "Yeah. It's really nice of her to plan a girl's day out with me. I haven't done one before," she admitted with a brief smile.

 

"Oh, that'll be fun then. Mum does them heaps, helps her de-stress after saving the world," Will said with a grin. "That reminds me: do you want to be my sidekick? Uh, Hero Support, sorry."

 

"What?" Magenta asked, her eyes wide.

 

"We, uh, work together. Well, I mean. We work together _well_ , and I just... I thought you'd like to be my Hero Support. Mum's going to discuss getting permission for you to leave with me for like, emergencies in Westville and stuff. Do you want to?"

 

Magenta couldn't believe it. Will was asking _her_ to be his sidekick (Hero Support, _whatever_ ). She wanted to agree immediately, but instead, what came out of her mouth was, "Are you sure?"

 

Will seemed surprised she wasn't agreeing instantly as well, but he nodded firmly. "Yeah, I'm sure. I mean, you'd be great at getting into small spaces, and... you're good with people. You were telling me about how you helped Gail when she was upset, remember?"

 

Magenta bit her tongue; she'd been _complaining_ about helping Gail. Still, Magenta knew that she'd never get a chance like this again. She had a watered down version of her father's power to turn into a lion, and no one else would want a _guinea pig_ for a sidekick.

 

 _Will must truly love her, after all_.

 

"I'd _love_ to be your Hero Support, Will."

 

Will grinned brightly. "Awesome. I'll tell Mum tonight; she'll probably want to talk your ear off about super suit colours tomorrow."

 

"Oh. _Great_ ," Magenta said, already dreading the conversation.

 

"Don't worry, she'll help you pick something that matches Airborne's outfit. Maybe there's a material that shrinks; do you think your guinea pig could wear one?"

 

Magenta doubted she'd be able to move if she was wearing an outfit as a guinea pig, and besides, her clothes kind of _disappeared_ when she shifted anyway. She didn't exactly want to admit that in public, so she shrugged instead, and Will continued to talk about cute little guinea pig outfits until their food came out.

 

...

 

"Warren? Kids? Do you want any ice cream?" Nina called out, making her way to Warren's room when there was no answer.

 

Knocking on the door, she opened it slowly when there was still no response. Nina frowned at the scene that met her: Warren was lying on a blanket on the floor, Craig and Wendy were curled up on either side of him, Layla was curled up on top of him, Donny was under Warren's legs somewhere, and Ethan and Zach were entwined together with Warren using them as a pillow. All of them were asleep, except for Adam who was sitting on Warren's bed. He had headphones on, so Nina waved to get his attention.

 

Adam quickly tugged his headphones off and smiled at her. "Hi, Ms. Peace."

 

"What's going on?"

 

"Everyone's discovered Warren's like a radiator, and I beat them in rock, paper, scissors for the bed," Adam replied.

 

Nina blinked at the explanation that didn't _really_ explain much, and shook her head. "I'll have to buy more condoms," she muttered to herself as she left.

 

...

 

End of the sixty-fourth chapter.


	65. Chapter 65

"Now, I hate to sound like one of _those_ mothers, but I have to ask: is the purple hair permanent?" Josie asked with a bright smile, tugging at a purple lock on Magenta's head.

 

Magenta didn't know what "those mothers" meant, but she knew that she had heard that question from people she didn't like. Reminding herself that this was _Jetstream_ , Will's mother, Magenta inhaled and forced herself to smile. "It's just a home dye job, Mrs. Stronghold."

 

"Oh, call me Josie, dear. We're practically family."

 

Magenta's eyes widened, but she nodded. "All right. Thank you, Josie. Do you... do you not like the colour?" she asked hesitantly.

 

"Oh, the colour's lovely on _you_ , dear. It's just purple doesn't look pleasant on TV. You've seen fights between the Purple Grape and, uh, Jetstream and the Commander, haven't you? Added ten pounds, at least," Josie said, shaking her head as though it was such a shame.

 

Magenta thought it was the Purple Grape's power, stretching out to a large ball shape until her enemies were squished beneath her, but she simply nodded.

 

 _Could purple hair add weight too?_ she wondered.

 

"Now, the _Spa Retreat_ in Maxville's the _best_ in the state. We've got a hot rock session, a trip to the sauna, facial, mani-pedi, and finishing off with a Swedish massage," Josie said. "You're going to come out of this a whole new woman," she said with a laugh.

 

Magenta wondered what was wrong with the woman she was right then, but dutifully followed Josie into the building for their bonding girls day out.

 

...

 

"I know some people prefer _Spa Retreat_ in Maxville, but they treat you like a piece of clay that needs be to moulded via excessive heat and sweat. It's not pleasant and you come out looking like a bright red prune and sore for days," Frieda said, rolling her eyes. "Trust me, the _Lotus Day Spa_ in Westville is so much better, and for the budget conscious, they're also cheaper."

 

"Are they missing a zero on this?" Ida asked as she looked at the prices on her phone.

 

"Nope, those are the real prices. If we go the weekend after the barbecue, that gives everyone time to get the day off, or get someone to look after the kids," Frieda added, smiling at Elijah and Elliot and cooing when they giggled up at her.

 

"Can I come?" Heidi asked Anita.

 

"Of course. Can she?" Anita asked Frieda.

 

"Definitely. The more the merrier," Frieda said with a smile.

 

"Hey, everyone. What're we talking about?" Craig asked, crouching slightly to rest his chin on the top of Heidi's head.

 

She laughed and reached back to tickle him.

 

"We're organising a spa day," Anita said, smiling as Heidi laughed.

 

"Ooh, fun. Can I come along?" Craig asked, looking between them.

 

"Of course, dear," Frieda said. "Would you like to see the manscaping menu?"

 

"Nah, I want a mani-pedi. My cuticles are awful," he said, splaying his hands in front of Heidi. "Look at that, Heids. Total disaster," Craig sighed.

 

She laughed again and reached out to grab his hands. "Will you get a colour?" Heidi asked.

 

"Sure. What colour do you think works best?" Craig asked, glancing around quickly to ensure no citizens would see what he was about to do. "Blue, green, purple, pink, black, silver, grey?"

 

Heidi blinked as the colours changed rapidly before her. "Wow."

 

"Any you liked?" Craig asked, spinning Heidi in a twirl before signing the different colours to her.

 

Heidi laughed and signed back to him.

 

"All of them? Well, I'll see what I can do for my favourite sister," Craig said, winking at her.

 

"Favourite sister, huh?" Cara asked, her arms folded over her chest and not looking amused.

 

"Favourite _little_ sister," Craig amended quickly. "Though, it's your birthday today, so you're not so little anymore, huh?"

 

Heidi grinned and shook her head.

 

"Ready to _part-ay_ , birthday girl?" Zach asked, dancing _badly_ next to Heidi.

 

She covered her eyes, though she was laughing behind her hands.

 

"Come on, we've got an ice cream cake that's going to melt if we don't eat it soon," Anita said, waving and ushering everyone to their cars to follow them to the Damsale residence.

 

"Are we all going to fit in their house?" Warren asked, following his mother to her car.

 

"I'm sure it will be fine. They've got room in their backyard as well," Nina said.

 

Warren didn't look entirely convinced, but fell silent as they followed the procession of cars.

 

"You know, if you're planning on having an orgy, I hope you kids are all being safe," Nina said in a conversational tone.

 

"What?! Where on earth did that come from, Mum?" Warren asked incredulously.

 

"You were all piled up in your room the other day. I just wanted to put it out there."

 

"Oh, Super Jesus, _no_. Put it _back_ in there. We were just sleeping. There are no orgies going on, okay?"

 

"Oh. Okay," Nina said, wincing slightly.

 

"Mum, what did you do?"

 

Nina coughed, trying not to look _too_ guilty. "I might've talked with Frieda about it."

 

Warren let out a long groan and buried his face in his hands. "Why?!"

 

"Because she went to college in the 60s and 70s, and I knew she'd know more about the logistics of an orgy than I would. The 80s weren't _that_ progressive."

 

"I'm going to power up now so I don't have to hear the rest of this conversation."

 

"You do that, and you're paying for a new interior. I'm talking neon fluffy dice and seat covers, mister."

 

"Y'know, that's _still_ not as bad as this conversation," Warren pointed out, though he didn't power up.

 

"Oh, really? So I can go buy neon fluffy dice, then?"

 

"No."

 

Nina laughed, then reached over to squeeze Warren's hand. "Sorry about telling Frieda. I'd tell her to leave you alone about it, but I think she's planning a trip to a sex shop with you all. There was a whole educational benefit thing she had going."

 

"I... I don't know what to say to that."

 

"Well, just go and keep open-minded. You might learn something."

 

"I don't know that I _want_ to," Warren said.

 

"You should always want to know more. You don't know what you'll learn from anyone, whether they're a sex shop owner or not."

 

Warren sighed and shook his head, taking his phone out and wondering how the hell he was going to explain this one.

 

Warren: So, mum saw us sleeping on the floor the other day, thought we were going to have an orgy & now Frieda's going to take us to a sex shop for educational purposes

 

There was a long minute of silence.

 

Layla: what?

 

Adam: dude, I wasn't even in that dog pile

 

Warren: if I have to go, then so do you

 

Craig: when are we going?

 

Ethan: are you sure we're all going? We're not 18.

 

Craig: dude, if Frieda gets us into a real sex shop, we're going

 

Ethan: I think Zach's having a heart attack.

 

Zach: are you shitting me? I'm trying not to pop a boner

 

Donny: TMI

 

Zach: Eth, think of the books!

 

Wendy: that's also TMI and I don't know why?

 

Warren: hippie, you okay?

 

Layla: I don't honestly know. I hadn't anticipated any of this

Layla: I'm curious to see what happens, though

 

Craig: what happens in the sex store stays in the sex store, agreed?

 

Everyone had agreed in a matter of seconds.

 

"Do I want to know what just happened?" Nina asked as she pulled into the Damsale's driveway.

 

"I told everyone what you said; we're organising an orgy," Warren deadpanned.

 

Nina cackled for so long that their friends passed their car to go inside before she finally settled down. "Grab the presents and go inside. I think I still need a minute," she said, giggling as she fanned her face.

 

Warren laughed, kissed her cheek, and grabbed Heidi's birthday presents from the backseat. "See you inside, Mum," he said, closing the door and heading up to the Damsale's home.

 

As he'd predicted, people were somewhat squished inside the house, but with the back door open, people made their way out into the sunshine and fresh air. Thanks to Honey and Anita's worked, everyone was armed with a piece of ice cream cake, Heidi getting the largest piece the plate could handle. She sat down on the grass outside and started to eat happily, practically ignoring everyone in favour of food.

 

"Now, Heids, you have a very important decision to make," Zach said, signing the words once he'd set his plate down.

 

Heidi frowned at him, her fork sticking out of her mouth.

 

"Which present are you going to open first?" he asked, indicating to the large pile of presents that had been set up nearby.

 

Heidi's eyes widened and she looked from the presents to everyone. "Mine?"

 

"All yours, sweetie," Anita said with a bright smile and a nod.

 

Heidi set the empty plate aside and made her way to the stack of presents hesitantly. She moved as though she was expecting the presents to fall apart, or to be empty as a joke. It was April Fools' Day, after all. Taking a present off the pile, Heidi tore at the wrapping, smiling brightly when she saw it wasn't empty: _Christmas lights in the shape of little reindeer_.

 

The doorbell rang, and Layla stood up before Anita could move. "I'll get it, Anita," she said.

 

Anita thanked her, and continued to take photos of Heidi opening her presents. _Another set of lights?_

 

"Sorry we're late," Grant said as he followed Jewel and Layla out into the yard.

 

Heidi looked confused, as she'd never met these two teenagers before. Meanwhile, Craig turned a bright red colour and apparently tried to hide behind Elliot. Elliot laughed at the new game, drawing everyone's attention in the silence.

 

" _Traitor_ ," Craig groaned, lowering Elliot back down to his knee and paying attention to his nephew instead of the newcomers.

 

"Heidi, this is Grant, and this is Jewel. They're new friends of ours," Layla said, winking at her.

 

Heidi smiled and waved shyly. Grant signed to say _hello_ and _happy birthday_ , and her shy smile turned bright as she signed back in return. Beside Grant, Jewel was wearing jeans, gloves, and a long-sleeved shirt, and due to her proximity to Grant, her skin looked pale rather than its usual shiny state. As long as no one looked too hard, they wouldn't even _think_ she was a super.

 

Frieda looked at Grant and Jewel intently and then her gaze went to Craig, who kept looking to Grant and Jewel every so often, his cheeks red. "I might need to organise this trip sooner rather than later," she murmured to herself.

 

"I've got no idea what either of you said," Jewel said with an apologetic smile to both Heidi and Grant. "But happy birthday, Heidi. We brought you a present," she said, adding the wrapped box to the pile.

 

Jewel stepped back into the crowd, Grant sliding an arm around her and kissing her cheek.

 

Heidi signed _thank you_ , then continued unwrapping the present Adam had given her. She frowned at the phone, looking between him and Anita and Richard.

 

"It's all right, I checked with Anita and Richard first. I made a game for you. It's installed and the phone's already charged and set up," Adam said, signing as many words as he could.

 

 _Made game?_ Heidi signed back in confusion.

 

Adam nodded and grinned. "Yep, it's your very own birthday game."

 

Heidi's confused expression gave way to pure joy, and she looked torn between opening the rest of her presents and playing her new game.

 

"Open the rest, Heids; I'll make sure you don't lose the phone," Zach promised.

 

Heidi handed the phone and box to Zach, then grabbed the next present. She laughed at the sixth set of novelty lights.

 

"Am I missing something?" Anita asked the world in general. Shaking her head when the world didn't give her a response, she handed her phone to Richard. "I'm going to get our present. Keep taking photos for me?"

 

"Of course," Richard said, kissing her before turning his attention and the phone back to Heidi.

 

Going into the kitchen to get Heidi's final present, Anita was surprised to hear a hushed argument coming from the lounge room. She'd thought everyone was still outside, so keeping her footsteps silent, Anita made her way to the doorway to listen.

 

" - believe you, Craig! You just can't be normal in _any_ way, can you?" Cara snapped.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

 

"What do you think everyone's thinking about you, what they're _saying_ about you? It wasn't just me, Craig; _everyone_ saw you making eyes at them."

 

"I... I didn't."

 

"Don't you lie to me, you freak."

 

"I'm not a freak. I'm not. I'm normal," Craig said, his voice small rather than his usual confident and boisterous sound.

 

"Give Elliot back to me. It's bad enough that you're a super, but they're starting to take after you as well."

 

"They're shifting already?" Craig asked.

 

"Not for long. I'm going to make sure they won't grow up to be freaks like you," Cara snapped.

 

Anita was ready to burst into the room and take Cara on, no matter the consequences, but a hand landed on her shoulder and Anita almost hit Honey as a result. Honey put a finger to her lips and nodded to the backyard. Seeing that Honey was holding a phone and she was recording Craig and Cara's conversation was the only reason Anita could bring herself to leave.

 

She forced herself to stop at the back door, to breathe, to stop from _seething_ at the way Craig was being treated by his own sister. She couldn't understand why or how people could treat others like that, just because they were different, whether due to their sexuality or super ability, or both.

 

As she watched Heidi open another present, Anita wondered if she and Richard could take another child in. Craig deserved to be happy, and his nephews certainly didn't deserve to be called _freaks_ by their own mother.

 

When Heidi had opened her last present - another set of lights, these in the shape of teardrops and looking like a curtain, according to the picture on the front - Anita made her way to her and made herself smile, warm and lovingly, just as she deserved.

 

"Anita, look!" Heidi said, indicating to the pile of fairy lights beside her - almost as tall as her.

 

"That's a lot of lights," Anita said with a bit of a laugh. "You have one more birthday present, sweetie," she said, presenting Heidi with the envelope.

 

Heidi took the envelope with a frown, not expecting _more_. Opening it, she pulled out a stack of documents, her frown deepening as she flipped between pages in confusion.

 

 _Don't understand_ , she signed.

 

"Richard and I discussed moving house with you all a while ago; somewhere bigger for all of us to be comfortable, somewhere that gives you a bigger room and bed. We've narrowed it down to those ten houses, but you get to choose. Well, you and the boys," Anita amended.

 

Heidi's eyes widened. "What?"

 

"What?" Ethan and Zach echoed her in surprise.

 

"It's something we've been thinking about for a while," Anita lied, just a _little_ bit.

 

She and Richard had discussed it when Zach and Heidi had first moved in with them, but had set the decision aside as they seemed to be fine with three bedrooms. Then Mrs. Brighton had turned up on their doorstep and seeing Zach's reaction to her had been enough for them to bring up the discussion again. Anita and Richard had spent hours pouring over real estate booklets and websites, trying to find something that would suit all of them, and their friends.

 

Heidi waved Zach and Ethan over, flipping through the pages carefully, immediately dismissing one or two before continuing to the next one.

 

"So, any party games? Pin the tail on the donkey? Pin the horn on the unicorn? Pin the gloves on the Commander? Pin the cape on Jetstream?" Craig listed, grinning brightly.

 

Anita couldn't see anything like the small and sad boy she'd heard in her lounge room, but figured that his power was the cause of that; _this face is red and blotchy from crying? Not a problem, here's a new face, fresh and shiny!_ Realising that he'd asked a question, Anita nodded. "There's water balloons in the laundry."

 

"Aw, yes! You got one of those giant balloon-filling pipes, right?"

 

Anita laughed. "Yes, and Richard spent most of the morning attaching the balloons and filling them up so they're ready to go."

 

"So where exactly is the laundry?" Craig asked, grinning.

 

"Richard will show you. I'm going to make sure none of these presents get wet," Anita said, starting to pick up the boxes of lights from the stacked pile.

 

She saw Grant and Jewel follow Craig and Richard inside, and felt her heart ache for all three of the teenagers. Anita had no doubt that Cara's cruel words would still be affecting Craig, though he certainly wouldn't show it if he could help it.

 

"He'll be all right, Mrs. Damsale," Adam said, helping her to pick up the presents.

 

"You... you've heard what Cara says to him?" Anita asked, her voice low.

 

"Not specific words, but he talks in his sleep sometimes," Adam said with a shrug. "It's better if someone else is there, they can't get to him then."

 

"They? The rest of his family treats him like that?" she asked, her voice raising. Anita forced herself to breathe and remain calm. She didn't want to ruin Heidi's first birthday party in years.

 

"His dad, mostly. His mother... she's, well, not aware of things beyond herself."

 

"Plain English, please, Adam," Anita said.

 

"Selfish cow."

 

"Ah, right. You're with him more often than not?"

 

"As often as I can be. My folks work late hours, so they're happier knowing I'm with a friend instead of being alone in an empty house," Adam said, waving over to his mother.

 

Anita sighed heavily. "Maybe I should talk with Ms. Martin again. I saw a five-bedroom house. That could work instead of four."

 

Adam tried not to laugh. "You honestly think Zach and Eth'll have separate rooms?"

 

"No, of course not. The last bedroom would be a study; there's no room left on our bookcases," Anita said.

 

With the presents gathered, they headed inside to put them away. Richard passed them on the way out, water balloons in each hand and looped to his belt, a bucket full under his arm. Anita and Adam both heard Richard's challenging roar before he started pelting water balloons at everyone, squeals of shock and laughter sounding.

 

"I'll get towels ready, if you'd like?" Adam offered once he'd set his half of the presents down.

 

"That would be nice, thank you. In the linen cupboard in the laundry," Anita said.

 

Adam wrinkled his nose and headed down to the indicated laundry.

 

Craig cackled and headed indoors to find Richard and the water balloons. "Hey, Mr. Damsale. Your lovely wife says you have water balloons at the ready," Craig said with a broad grin.

 

Richard clapped and rubbed his hands together. "Oh, excellent. This way, young man. Any battle plans, or do we just charge in?"

 

"Charge in, I'd say. Element of surprise and all that," Craig said.

 

"Good thinking. Now, I'll get the bucket and a few spare balloons, and you can follow with one of the tubs, how's that sound?"

 

"Sounds good to me," he replied, standing back as Richard looped a few balloons to his belt, tucked the bucket under his arm, and struggled to take one balloon in each hand.

 

"See you out there," Richard said with a broad grin, squeezing past Grant and Jewel to get out of the laundry and to the backyard once more.

 

"Did you hear about the water balloons as well?" Craig asked cheerfully, not letting himself to look at either Grant or Jewel, and making sure to stay out of Grant's reach.

 

"Nope, we were hoping to seduce you," Jewel said, grinning.

 

"Not up for seducing, thanks. I've got water balloons to throw at people."

 

"We'll wait, Craig. As long as you need," Grant said, reaching out to tap his chin.

 

Craig jolted back, as far away from Grant's reach as possible. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough and Grant's power ruined Craig's perfect complexion.

 

"Who made you cry?" Jewel asked, her voice harsh. "They'll be stone in two minutes flat," she snapped, taking a glove off.

 

"Shit. No, Jewel, _don't_. It's fine. It's nothing, okay? Just... personal shit, okay?" Craig said, shifting so his perfect face returned.

 

"Craig, babe. Don't hide. Please, not with us," Grant said softly.

 

Craig looked away, their earnest expressions too much of _everything_ , and poked at the bulging water balloons. He sighed, ran a hand through his curly hair, and let his shift fade away. "There, happy?"

 

"You're upset, of course we're not happy," Jewel said, reluctantly tugging her glove back on so she could cup Craig's cheek. "Any time you want, tell me a name, and they're stone, okay?"

 

Craig could feel his shoulders shaking, somewhere between sobbing and laughing. "That's the sweetest thing anyone ever's said to me."

 

"Tell us and they'll be rubble," Grant said, smirking. "Jewel can do her thing, and I'm more than happy to push them off a high building. Or I could get a sledgehammer."

 

Craig laughed, only stopping when he heard footsteps approaching. He immediately shifted to his perfect face and stepped back out of reach of Grant's power.

 

"Please tell me you're decent. I just need towels," Adam said outside of the laundry door.

 

"Of course we're decent, what do you think we're doing?"

 

"I'm _not_ thinking about it, that's the point, Craig," he replied, opening the door and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw they were still dressed.

 

"How many towels do you need?" Jewel asked, turning to open the linen cupboard door behind her.

 

"Depends if you actually bring the water balloons out," Adam said with a grin.

 

"All of them, then," Jewel said, passing as many towels as she could find to Adam.

 

"Thanks," he said, his voice muffled behind the towels.

 

"We'll be out in a minute, armed with water balloons," Grant added.

 

"I'm timing you," Adam said over his shoulder as he left.

 

Jewel closed the laundry door behind him and looked back to Craig. "Are you sure you're all right, babe?"

 

Craig shrugged. "I'm fine."

 

"I'd believe you if you said it with a bit more conviction," Jewel said.

 

"I'm fine!" Craig said, bright and sarcastic.

 

Jewel smirked. "That's more like it. Come on, hand the water balloons over and we'll show them how it's done," she said with a wink.

 

"Jewel was laser tag champion at Stronghold's party," Grant said proudly, kissing her deeply.

 

Craig watched them, feeling his heart race and his cheeks redden. He tried to get himself under control when they pulled away, and handed one of the tubs to Jewel when she turned to him expectantly.

 

"My offer stands, Craig," Jewel said, kissing his cheek. "Any time, just tell me their name, okay?"

 

Still feeling stunned and overwhelmed, Craig nodded.

 

Grant kissed his other cheek, grinning when he saw Craig's blush behind his perfect face, then grabbed a tub of water balloons. "See you out there, babe."

 

Craig forced his limbs to work again, to grab the last tub of water balloons and follow them outside.

 

...

 

"Hey, Stronghold. I need to talk to you," Warren said. "In private this time," he added when Will just looked at him.

 

"Why can't you say it in front of everyone?" Will asked.

 

"You really hurt my feelings when you didn't invite me to your birthday party," Warren deadpanned.

 

"Really?"

 

"No."

 

Will frowned. "Why's it gotta be in private, then?"

 

"Because I'm asking nicely, Stronghold, and I don't want the whole damn cafeteria hearing this," Warren said, being _exceptionally_ patient.

 

"Just tell him you love him, already!" Donny called out, Craig and Zach laughing.

 

"Also because my friends are dicks. But then, so are yours," Warren said. "Come on, Stronghold, I'm not going to throw you off the edge of the school _or_ make out with you."

 

His curiosity finally overcoming him, Will stood up. "If I'm not back in five minutes, come find me. With Principal Powers," he added firmly.

 

Warren tried not to laugh at the weak threat, and he led Will out of the cafeteria and towards the lockers.

 

"You're not going to stuff me into a locker, are you?" Will asked, tensing up.

 

"No, I'm not a bully, Stronghold. Super Jesus, would you relax already? I'm not going to attack you," Warren said, rolling his eyes.

 

Will desperately tried to think of what Warren had to say to him. During one of the long and awkward silences on their date, Magenta had admitted that she'd gone home sick on Monday and that Layla had been the one to look after her. _Had she told Layla what they'd done on Saturday night? Had Layla told Warren what he'd done?_

 

"Here," Warren said, opening his locker and taking out a wrapped present.

 

"You... got me a birthday present?" Will asked in shock.

 

"It's from me and Layla. She didn't think you'd accept it in front of everyone, hence the whole private talk thing. Layla and I miss you. We were your friends not so long ago," Warren said, shutting his locker door and leaving Will standing in the hallway in a state of shock.

 

Will opened the present to find a honeysuckle flower nestled in the decorative box. Knowing Layla's power, Will doubted the flower would ever die. It was a surprise, and more than that, it was a _nice_ one. He put the box on his locker's top shelf, leaving the lid off so his locker would smell nice instead of like sweaty old gym clothes.

 

Returning to the cafeteria, Will wasn't entirely surprised to find his friends counting down the five minute allocation and glowering over at Warren with every second that passed and Will hadn't returned.

 

"Hey, guys. I'm thinking we should do another game of laser tag. What do you think of this weekend?" Will asked as he sat down.

 

"I don't know, Will. Finals are in four weeks," Ben said.

 

Lisa ended the timer on her phone and shook her head. "We've also got the final paper and yearbook, sorry."

 

"What about after finals?" Larry suggested.

 

"What do you think, Maj?" Will asked.

 

She was his sidekick now and he needed to start getting her input into these sorts of things. As the Commander had told him, it was _important_ to make sidekicks feel useful. Getting input from a sidekick made them feel like they were contributing and that they were part of a team. It wouldn't even matter if their input wasn't listened to or their advice wasn't followed, so long as _they_ believed that they mattered.

 

Magenta sat up straighter at his attention, then considered the options. "I think we could all blow off stress this weekend for a few hours and still have enough time to study for finals."

 

"I think that's a great idea, Larry. If we organise a game for after finals, it'll be a celebration," Will said.

 

The other Heroes agreed with him immediately, working out a date and time that would suit them all. After almost five minutes, Will finally remembered to include Magenta in their conversation and plans.

 

...

 

"This place is amazing, Layla. How long have you had it?" Jewel asked as she and Grant came into the Hive from Eden.

 

"A few months. My mother left the plans and money to me in her will," Layla added.

 

"How convenient," Grant said, Jewel laughing beside him. "I just want to know where the rest of it is. There's no bedroom here, so there has to be one somewhere, and the structure doesn't allow for anything in the rafters. Not to mention nearly everyone's disappeared and we can't hear them inside or outside," he said pointedly.

 

"Craig, do you want the honours?" Warren asked, settling back on his chair with Layla beside him.

 

"Where's the pantry gone? Did you move it?" Craig called back from the kitchen.

 

"Yes, I'm hiding chocolate," Layla called back.

 

"Not fair, Lay," Craig said, eating an apple as he came into the lounge room. "What honours am I doing?"

 

"Us," Grant said, Craig promptly choking.

 

"Grant," Jewel hissed. "He means showing us where the rest of this place is," she added once Craig had stopped choking.

 

"Oh. Okay. You're sure?" Craig asked Layla and Warren.

 

"Positive," they replied, vines sharp under their skin in Grant and Jewel's presence.

 

"Creepy," Craig said, taking another large bite of his apple before nodding for Grant and Jewel to follow him.

 

Curious, they followed him into the library and watched as he reached up to press a panel, the trapdoor opening in the middle of the room.

 

"Don't worry, it's not claustrophobic down there," Craig promised, heading down the stairs without waiting for a response.

 

Warren and Layla watched as Grant and Jewel followed Craig down into the hive below. Zach, Ethan, Donny, Wendy, and Adam were already training in the arena, and with their friends preoccupied, Warren and Layla could practise their own powers without being seen.

 

Layla tried to juggle two fireballs carefully and beside her, Warren tried to coax different plants from the one seed.

 

"Do you think they'll end up together?" Layla asked curiously.

 

"I don't know. Craig's pretending he's not interested in them. I don't know whose benefit that's for, since it's obvious to _everyone_ that he likes both of them," Warren said, shaking his head.

 

"Frieda's trying to get details from Honey; I think she's worried they're going to break each other's hearts," Layla murmured, letting the fireballs disappear as she heard footsteps.

 

Beside her, Warren stopped changing the seed, and tugged Layla onto his lap to kiss her.

 

"If I have to walk in on people kissing _one more time_ , I'm putting acid holes in all of your clothes. Super Jesus, get some control, would you?"

 

Layla pulled away from Warren, laughing. "Sorry, Adam. How's training going?"

 

"Grant won't stop flirting with Craig, Jewel's thinking dirty thoughts, and Ethan and Zach are doing something with knots, so Donny had to go scrub his brain with bleach. Wendy left soon after, I don't want to know why."

 

"Oh, _bleach!_ I missed that for my vat of toxic waste. Damn it."

 

Adam frowned. "It's like the most obvious household chemical?"

 

"My mother always used vinegar and baking soda to clean. I didn't even know what bleach was until I was eight years old," Layla said with a grin.

 

"I'm going to go check on the bees. I'll be back soon," Warren said, standing to go to the changing room to change into his beekeeping suit.

 

"How are the bees going?" Adam asked, sitting on Craig's window seat.

 

"Really well. Warren's almost perfected the smoke they need without making any flames, so he's proud of that. I think we should have enough honey for a jar around finals. I'm going to buy those tiny jars to make up samples."

 

"Oh yeah, speaking of finals, we need to study. That should be enough incentive for Ethan and Zach. Not sure about the others. Depends how much Wendy wants it," Adam mused, flicking through his phone before holding the speaker to his mouth. "We've got to study. Get your asses up here already."

 

His voice was projected through all of their phones, startling more than one person.

 

They were all upstairs in a matter of minutes, Grant and Jewel looking confused.

 

"How did your voice get on my phone?" Jewel asked warily.

 

"Remember that phone update you had about a week ago? I added my own code so I can access anyone's phone," Adam replied.

 

" _Anyone?_ " Grant asked.

 

"Well, within Sky High. Possibly Maxville; I didn't restrict the update as much as I could have. Actually... Lay, you've got Jetstream's number, right?" Adam asked, scrolling through his phone.

 

"Of course," Layla said, offering her phone so he could verify the phone numbers in his list.

 

"All right, looks like it's Maxville, not just Sky High," he said.

 

"You're not a technopath though?"

 

"Adam up-skilled," Craig said, grinning at his best friend. "Now, hurry up, I've gotta pick your brains about this English essay."

 

"Yeah, I'm coming," Adam said, grabbing his bag from the front and following Craig, Ethan, and Zach through to the dining room.

 

"I'll go through Communications with you, Wendy," Donny offered, taking their bags and following the others.

 

"Couldn't have waited five more minutes?" Wendy muttered as she adjusted her shirt, following them as well.

 

"Warren's looking after the bees, he'll be back soon. Do you have any last-minute assignments or study to do?"

 

"Not Mr. Smartass here, but I do," Jewel said, getting her laptop from her bag.

 

"Hey, I have a great ass," Grant said, smirking.

 

"Adam? Elephants, _please_."

 

Adam agreed with a nod and a second later, the noise of elephants trumpeting sounded, redirecting their thoughts. "Focus, people. We've got three weeks before finals, remember?"

 

"I've worked out a study schedule, if anyone's interested?" Ethan offered.

 

"Yes, please," Craig said, already sounding stressed at Adam's reminder.

 

"I'd like one too, if you don't mind?" Grant added, curious more than anything.

 

"Do you have an electronic copy, Eth?" Adam asked.

 

"Yeah, I'll send it around. You might not like my colour coding," Ethan said, scrolling through his phone to his Dropbox account and sharing the document to their school emails.

 

"I like your colour coding, Eth. Fifteen or thirty minute study blocks?" Zach asked, reading the printed and laminated study schedule in Ethan's folder.

 

"Fifteen minutes; it allows for more flexibility," Ethan said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

 

"You weren't kidding about scheduling making out," Wendy said.

 

"Oh, just take those out."

 

"No way. I might change the length though," she said, grinning.

 

Warren returned from checking on the bees to find his friends in various states of laughter, while Adam just sat there and glared at them all.

 

"Would you please just study?" Adam groaned, turning his music up even louder and pressing his hands over his headphones to stop their noise from infiltrating.

 

"Eth, did you find out when Adam's birthday is? I vote for noise-cancelling headphones," Warren said as he passed by to hang up his suit.

 

"It's the 9th of May, the day after Craig's, which is the day after the barbecue," Ethan listed.

 

"Good timing, we can celebrate finals and both birthdays. Find a good pair of headphones, we can all pitch in," Warren said with a nod.

 

Ethan nodded and added the task to his to-do list.

 

As Warren returned with his notebook and pen, everyone finally started to settle down and began studying again.

 

...

 

End of the sixty-fifth chapter.


	66. Chapter 66

"You're still coming to the sex shop, right?" Craig asked Adam as they walked inside.

 

"For the hundredth time: yes, I'll be there."

 

"It's only funny if you say you're coming," Craig said, poking his tongue out at Adam as he headed into the kitchen to get an afternoon snack. "Hi Mum, hi Dad," he called out, seeing his parents at their dining table. "Dad?" he said, doing a double-take and stopping short.

 

"Shit," Adam muttered, taking Craig's hand and squeezing tightly.

 

"Son. Adam, you're here again," Mr. Forge said disapprovingly.

 

"Yes, sir," Adam replied firmly, trying to text with one hand without drawing attention to the fact that he was texting.

 

"We'd like to talk to our son. Alone," Mr. Forge added.

 

Craig's hand squeezed Adam's almost painfully. Adam coughed, hoping his bones weren't crunching together like it felt they were. "I... Can I use your phone, Mrs. Forge? Please?"

 

"Of course," Cindy replied, standing to pass her phone to him.

 

She didn't question why, even though Adam was holding his phone and it chimed with an incoming message a second later. Adam glanced at the message and showed the screen to Craig, who nodded and slowly relaxed his grip on Adam's hand.

 

"Uh, thank you, Mrs. Forge. I just want to let my father know that I'm here. Did you see that his latest house design was featured in _Super Homes?_ "

 

"Oh, no, I didn't. That's lovely, dear. I didn't know he designed houses," Cindy said.

 

"We've known Curtis for seventeen years; he's been an architect for that entire time, Cindy," Mr. Forge said, rolling his eyes at his wife.

 

"Oh, that's nice. Do you think we could get a tour of his new house? We're going to build and move into a new house in Montana. Or were we going to buy a house and move to Montana?" Cindy asked her husband.

 

"What?!" Craig asked incredulously, his grip tightening on Adam's hand once more.

 

Mr. Forge sighed and glared at his wife before turning his attention to his son. "I've been offered a promotion to Montana's head office. It's more money, a corner office, and they've agreed to let me start in two weeks' time, which is _very_ generous. We're leaving next week."

 

"But I have finals in three weeks," Craig said.

 

"Then you'll have to do them at a new school."

 

"Craig would have to redo the school year if he misses finals here. Besides, Montana doesn't even have a school for supers," Adam said.

 

Mr. Forge's jaw clenched. "That doesn't matter. He doesn't need a school like that. He's normal, aren't you, son?"

 

"Yes, sir," Craig said, swallowing and trying to step back as his father stepped forward.

 

"He literally changes into other people," Adam snapped, moving so he was in front of Craig.

 

"He is _normal_. He's not like you, he's not a _freak_ , and he's leaving with us, whether he wants to or not!" Mr. Forge bellowed.

 

The doorbell rang.

 

The sound was so unexpected that they all went still, incredulous that something so simple could be present in the middle of a heated argument.

 

"I'll get it," Cindy said cheerfully.

 

Waiting until his wife was gone, Mr. Forge strode across the room and picked Adam up by the front of his shirt. "You listen to me, you _freak_. He is _my_ son, so I'll decide what is best for him, _not you_. He's coming with us to Montana, he's going to a normal school, and if he shows _any_ sign of this freakish behaviour, he's being sent to the first super conversion therapy I can find."

 

Adam was so _very_ tempted to spit in Mr. Forge's face. It didn't even have to be acidic and it would still be a vindictive pleasure. "You're not taking Craig anywhere," he said, smiling broadly when he recognised Honey's voice at the door.

 

Honey had brought Frieda and Ms. Martin, who had just so happened to drop by Frieda's to see how Layla was doing in her new home. Layla was still at work, but before Ms. Martin could say or do anything else, Honey and Frieda had both received SOS texts from Adam. She had decided to come with them considering the murderous expression on her client's face.

 

"Let me in, you insipid cow, or I will kick you down," Frieda snapped.

 

"Lovely weather we're having for this time of year, isn't it, Honey?" Ms. Martin asked, definitely _not_ a witness to her client threatening someone.

 

Frieda was at the kitchen doorway a moment later, where Adam was still being held up by the shirt by Mr. Forge. "You put him down this instant!"

 

Mr. Forge sneered down at her. "I caught this _boy_ trespassing in my home. What are _you_ going to do about it?"

 

Frieda sized him up, her eyes dark as she saw every secret he'd ever had. She moved around him and kicked him between the legs with all the force she could muster. Considering how angry she was, it was _a lot_ of force. Mr. Forge let go of Adam and dropped to the floor, howling in pain and clutching at his crotch.

 

"Very lovely weather," Ms. Martin said, trying so very hard not to burst out laughing.

 

"Craig, I'll need your father's fingerprint, please," Frieda said, leading him over to a painting and tugging it off the wall to reveal a safe.

 

"What the hell?" Craig said, staring at the safe he'd never seen before.

 

"Your father's been embezzling from his work, as well as taking bribes from some very bad people. The evidence is all in here," Frieda said, gesturing for Craig to put his fingerprint on the ID scanner.

 

Craig looked over to his father, who was red-faced and gasping on the ground, then returned his attention to the safe. For the second time in his life, he shifted in front of his father, and used his fingerprint to open the safe. Inside were several leather-bound ledgers and a substantial amount of money, tied up in thick bundles.

 

"Here we are, Ms. Martin; no one else's fingerprint would be anywhere near this safe. I do hope you've called the police, Honey?" Frieda asked.

 

"They'll be here in a minute. Come on, Craig, let's go get you emancipated," Honey said with a wink, holding out a hand for him. "Don't do it, Adam. It's not worth the consequences."

 

Adam reluctantly swallowed the mouthful of acidic spit and helped Honey lead his best friend away.

 

"Emancipation takes four to eight months though?" Craig said.

 

"Oh, sweetheart, no. Hyacinth is a judge; it'll take four to eight hours," Honey said firmly. "We should organise a bag for you and make sure you've got all of your homework. You're going to get an A-minus on that essay."

 

"Really?" Craig asked, sniffling and trying hard not to cry.

 

"Yeah. Oh, don't forget that blue shirt," Honey said, nudging him towards his wardrobe.

 

By the time Craig had packed his homework and most of his belongings into a bag, the police had arrived and were talking to his father. As soon as Craig was in Mr. Forge's line of sight, he seemed to lose all sense of self and control. Mr. Forge lunged towards his son, hands outstretched and reaching, his face twisted in anger. After all of his extra-curricular training, Craig didn't think, he simply shifted. A second later, his father was out cold on the floor after connecting with Larry's bulky rock form.

 

"Uh, sorry," Craig said to the two police officers, who were staring at him in shock.

 

"I hope your wife and baby girl are doing well, Officer?" Frieda asked one of the officers, the same one who'd answered the domestic disturbance at Greta's.

 

"Oh. Uh, yes. They're fine. I _thought_ I recognised you."

 

Frieda smiled and patted the man's arm. "That's very kind of you. Now, I'm sure you won't have any trouble filing the reports and making sure this slug of a man goes to prison for a very long time, will you?"

 

The officer blinked. "Well, we have all of the embezzling evidence in his ledgers, the cash bribes, eyewitnesses for Mr. Forge attempting to hurt his son, and the video that young man provided of emotional abuse, so he should be locked away for some time yet, ma'am."

 

"That's _lovely_ to hear. Take care now," Frieda said, stepping over Mr. Forge's fallen body and following her daughter, Craig, and Adam outside. "Now, I brought the Rolls Royce, and I know from experience that it fits through the ice cream store's drive-thru. What do you say?"

 

"Ice cream works for me," Adam said with a nod.

 

"Same here," Craig said.

 

"I suppose I have no choice," Ms. Martin said. "Adam, if you send the video and voice recording to my email address, I can send it through to Hyacinth and get started on the paperwork."

 

Honey ended her call with Hyacinth and joined them. "Hyacinth will be expecting the paperwork this evening. Craig, you'll just need to sign and agree to become emancipated."

 

"Is that from my whole family or just my parents? I don't... I don't want to miss out on seeing Elijah and Elliot grow up," Craig said, the same fear his sister had used against him time and time again taking hold in his chest.

 

Honey hugged him tight. "Don't you worry about that. If I have my way, she'll never hurt any of you again, and you won't miss out on a thing," she promised.

 

"You sure?" he asked quietly as he hugged her in return.

 

"I am. Unfortunately, you may need to be bait," Honey said with a wince as she pulled away.

 

Remembering Cara's threat to make sure that Elliot and Elijah would grow up _normal_ and his father's threat about super conversion therapy, Craig nodded. "I can do that."

 

...

 

Anita blinked awake blearily, realising that she'd fallen asleep while reading a book on chess strategies, and that she'd woken up because there'd been a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in," she called, turning her bedside lamp on and setting her book aside.

 

Heidi opened the door slowly, then completely when she saw that Anita was awake. She was inside and by her bed in a moment, setting a piece of paper down and signing quickly.

 

"Too fast, sweetie. I'm still learning," Anita said, signing _slow_ back to her.

 

"This one," Heidi said, too impatient to sign again, tapping the paper on Anita's lap.

 

"You've chosen a house already?" Anita asked, adjusting her glasses to pick up the piece of paper and look at it properly. "This wasn't one of the houses," she murmured. "Ethan, did you find this house?" Anita called, looking to her doorway.

 

As she'd expected, Ethan and Zach were both waiting in the hallway.

 

"Yes. I kept to your criteria: under a certain budget, within a particular neighbourhood, and made sure that there was enough space for all of us," Ethan said quickly. "I even made sure there was a good-sized kitchen and a basement for Dad's model train set."

 

Anita groaned good-naturedly. "I was hoping we'd leave that darn thing here."

 

Zach laughed, turning it into a cough. "Uh, Heids, show Anita the best bit," he said with a nod.

 

Heidi grinned and turned the piece of paper over. On it were the photos that had been included of the house: the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom with ensuite, three extra bedrooms, and the basement even looked light rather than damp and terrifying. Heidi pointed to one of the bedrooms specifically, a bed with fairy lights strung along the headboard.

 

Anita frowned and looked from the paper to Heidi, then over to Ethan and Zach. "What is it with the lights? I understand that they're pretty, but that was a _lot_ of lights Heidi received for her birthday. We didn't even have that many lights when we decorated the house for Christmas last year."

 

Heidi looked over to Zach, who nodded encouragingly.

 

The room around them became dark, Zach automatically glowing in response. It took Anita a long moment to realise that the lamp light had changed, that _Heidi_ had changed the light.

 

"You control lights?" Anita asked when the light had returned.

 

Heidi shook her head shyly, then started to rub her hands together. As Anita watched curiously, Heidi moved her hands apart carefully, cracks of static electricity formed between her palms.

 

"Oh, lord. _Electricity_ ," Anita said, the amount of fairy and novelty lights finally making sense.

 

"I didn't know you could do that, Heids," Zach said in surprise.

 

Heidi clapped her hands together once, the electricity disappearing, then signed: _accident_.

 

"Do you have any of your birthday balloons left?" Ethan asked curiously.

 

"Ethan, you are _not_ going to use Heidi for your experiments. I don't want to see her walking around with a string of balloons after her."

 

Heidi laughed, signing something fast to Zach, who snickered in response.

 

"Thought balloons," he explained when Anita and Ethan looked at them.

 

"Oh, dear lord. Ethan, go get your father so we can discuss this house you've found, please."

 

Ethan nodded, adjusting his glasses on the way out.

 

Anita waved Zach and Heidi over to sit on the bed beside her. "Thank you for telling me this, Heidi, and for trusting me. I'll make sure that you get to Sky High, okay? Or whichever super school you want to attend," she added, unsure whether Heidi actually wanted to go to her brother's school or not.

 

"Sky High. Please," Heidi said.

 

"You don't mind, Anita? I know how much the tuition costs," Zach said.

 

"Yes, so do I. But it's worth it to ensure Heidi gets the best possible education. I promised myself that you would both be given every opportunity in life I could give you, your education's just a part of that."

 

"Is this why you want me to go to the opera with you?" Zach asked curiously.

 

"Yes. That, and it's a brilliant opera," Anita admitted with a smile. "Now, tell me more about this house. Why do you two like it? Besides the bed with the lights," she added.

 

Heidi started signing quickly again, so Zach translated. "Big backyard for a dog. Bath to wash a dog. Bed with lights and big enough for a dog. C'mon, Heids."

 

Anita laughed. "I'm assuming you'd like a dog, then?"

 

Heidi nodded firmly, though her cheeks were red as though she was embarrassed to ask, as if she'd asked adults before and been denied.

 

"Pets are a big responsibility, sweetie."

 

Heidi nodded again, seriously and somewhat disappointed.

 

"Let's find a house first; we want to make sure we can all live there comfortably, not just what's great for a dog, okay?"

 

"That's a good maybe, Heids," Zach said, signing to her.

 

Heidi nodded reluctantly, then started to sign again.

 

"Planning permission for a pool? Where did you read that?" Zach asked, taking the piece of paper to read the fine print. "Huh, I missed that completely. Indoor, too."

 

"Where do they have the room for an indoor pool?" Anita asked curiously.

 

"Indoor and outdoor, apparently, since they'd be converting half of the garage and going out into the backyard. But it's not in yet, it's just the permission," Zach said, handing the paper back to her.

 

"I heard there's a house with space for my model trains?" Richard announced as he entered the bedroom, grinning broadly.

 

"Not if I have any say in it," Anita muttered.

 

"Why don't you like the trains?" Zach asked.

 

"Oh, I'm fine with the trains. It's the creepy little people that terrify me," she replied, then held out the piece of paper. "Ethan's done some research of his own."

 

"I expect nothing less," Richard said, kissing Ethan's temple before taking the paper. He read over the fine print, eyebrows raising when he saw the included permission for the pool, then turned the page over to see the photos. "Ah, the bed with the lights. You want that for your bed, do you, Heidi?"

 

She grinned and nodded.

 

"That's not all," Anita said, tapping Heidi's hand gently to prompt her to demonstrate to Richard as well.

 

As Heidi was sitting next to Zach, she zapped him with her static electricity accidentally, wincing when he jolted back. "You okay?"

 

"Fine, Heids. Better than last time," Zach admitted, though his hair was standing on end.

 

"Are you sure I can't get just _one_ balloon, Ma?" Ethan asked, grinning.

 

"Ethan, no. Besides, you should all be in bed now, it's a school night. Your father and I will discuss this and make our decision in the morning. Thank you for finding it," Anita said.

 

"Good night," Zach said, hugging Anita and then Richard on his way out, waiting for Ethan and Heidi in the hallway.

 

Ethan kissed his mother's cheek, then hugged his father tightly, and went to wait with Zach. Heidi hugged Anita and kissed her cheek quickly, then did the same with Richard.

 

"Good night, sweetie," Anita said.

 

"Good night, kids. Sleep tight," Richard said.

 

Anita set the piece of paper aside and pressed a hand to her cheek. It was the first time Heidi had kissed her cheek.

 

Richard looked as stunned as she felt, but smiled broadly and crossed the room to hug and kiss his wife. "We're doing okay with them, aren't we, Annie?"

 

Anita nodded and hugged him tightly in return. "Lord, I hope so."

 

...

 

Warren frowned in confusion when he saw Layla sitting on the bus with Craig and Adam. Continuing down the aisle to his seat, he sat between Layla and Craig. "What's going on?"

 

"Coffee first, explanations later," Layla said, offering him a travel mug.

 

"All right. Anyone else getting on the bus that I should know about?"

 

"Just the usuals," Layla replied.

 

Accepting her answer, Warren nodded, closed his eyes and sipped at his coffee. He finished it by the time the bus flew off the highway ramp, so he set the empty mug aside and opened his eyes once more, waiting for an explanation.

 

"My dad's super-phobic, homophobic, and was also embezzling and taking bribes. He, uh, tried to attack me and Adam last night. Adam messaged Honey and Frieda stopped my dad from hurting Adam."

 

"You missed the part where he was trying to get you to move to Montana, go to a non-super school, and didn't care that you'd have to redo this whole year if you moved in a week's time," Adam added.

 

"That too," Craig conceded with a nod.

 

"Hyacinth had him emancipated by the end of the night," Layla added. "Craig's going to stay with us until Honey's worked out his other accommodation."

 

Warren's jaw clenched and he looked ready to set someone or something on fire. "Next time someone tries to attack you, _call me_. All these lousy fathers and I haven't had a chance to _thank_ any of them."

 

"Why would you want to thank them?!" Craig asked incredulously.

 

"Code for beating them up," Layla explained.

 

"Oh, okay. That makes more sense. So, you're just pissed because you didn't get to 'thank' my dad?" Craig asked, rolling his eyes.

 

"Well, that, and I'm pissed because he hurt you. He sounds like a complete bastard. C'mere," Warren said, curling an arm around Craig and letting him cuddle in close.

 

Craig hugged Warren firmly, not planning on letting go until they reached Sky High.

 

"We're landing," Adam said from his corner, far too soon for Craig's liking.

 

He tightened his grip on Warren as the bus landed on the runway. "I'm alive."

 

"Good, now get up," Adam said, plonking Craig's bag on his lap.

 

"Not cool, dude," Craig groaned, clutching his bag as he stood up.

 

Warren grabbed his and Layla's bags and followed Craig out, while Adam followed after Layla.

 

"Thanks, Warren," Layla said, taking her bag and kissing his cheek.

 

"Thanks, Warren," Craig said, kissing his cheek.

 

Warren rolled his eyes. "Go to home group, dork."

 

"Love you, too," Craig called over his shoulder, grinning.

 

Layla stopped at the tree by the retaining wall and grew some fresh apples, setting them in the basket that had managed to stay by the wall, even after the storm.

 

"You're so nice, hippie," Warren said, kissing her cheek.

 

"I'm just helping out my fellow students," Layla replied, taking his hand in hers.

 

He laughed, low and hot against her skin. "You forget that I've seen your plans, hippie. I know what you're going to do."

 

"I think you mean what _we're_ going to do," she said sweetly, kissing him hard and bruising before gently pushing him back into the flow of students.

 

Warren grinned and licked his bloodied lip.

 

...

 

"I'm not saying it's not a good idea, I just don't think that a _petition_ is the best way to achieve this kind of goal," Will said, subconsciously putting his hands on his hips in a heroic pose.

 

"Then what would _you_ suggest?" Katherine snarled, looking ready to claw his eyes out.

 

Will blanked. He hadn't thought that far ahead, honestly.

 

"Me," a familiar voice said behind him.

 

Will's eyes widened and he spun around to see his mother there.

 

Josie took off her glasses and Jetstream smiled down at the four seated students. "The petition is a wonderful start, but to _really_ make a difference, getting the support of Jetstream and the Commander would mean that your voices are actually heard."

 

"So, you're saying that without your support, no one will listen to us?" Grant asked.

 

Jetstream faltered. "Uh, no, of course not. It's just that..."

 

Will's friends came out of the cafeteria, taking a moment longer to clear their trays than their friend with the power of flight. All three of Lisa's eyes widened at the sight of Jetstream standing there. Ignoring the four protesting students, Lisa moved into Jetstream's line of sight.

 

"It's so great to see you again, Jetstream. I'd like to question you about Blue McQueen's allegations and why you're supporting the studio and director instead of her?"

 

"Lisa!" Will hissed at her, but she ignored him and kept her eyes on Jetstream, waiting for a response.

 

A bright shimmering light drew everyone's attention and then Principal Powers was in the hallway, smiling at Jetstream. "There you are, Jetstream. I'm ready now, if you are?" she offered, ignoring the bristling and eager students.

 

"Yes, I'm ready. Thank you, Principal Powers," Josie said, slipping her glasses back on. "Have a nice day, Will dear," she said, kissing his cheek and wincing at the lipstick mark she left behind.

 

Will groaned and rubbed at the mark ineffectively, glaring when his friends laughed. Josie flew after Principal Powers' comet form without looking back.

 

Shifting back before reaching her office - she'd discovered all too quickly that the power repressing beams _forcing_ her shift was not pleasant - Principal Powers waited for Josie to stop flying before guiding her inside.

 

"Thank you for your well-timed rescue, Linda. Have the students always been that intense?" Josie asked as she sat down, still reeling.

 

When she was a student at Sky High, she would have given her front teeth to meet Captain Stronghold. _If he'd offered to help her with a_ ** _ridiculous_** _petition, she would have been_ ** _grateful_** _, not snide and rude!_ Josie tried to remember that student's name and face so she could ensure that Will wasn't actually _friends_ with him. _Graham?_

 

"Passionate, perhaps, but intense is a stretch," Principal Powers said with a slight smile.

 

Josie forced herself to smile in return. "Of course, Linda."

 

They smiled at each other for a moment longer, neither one wanting to give. A second later, Principal Power looked to the paperwork on her desk. Josie smiled in triumph as she took her glasses off to negotiate for Magenta to be allowed to leave school with Will during Westville's super-emergencies.

 

...

 

"Shouldn't you be studying, Craig?" Cara asked as she arrived at the café with the twins in their stroller.

 

"Taking a break is good for my mental health," Craig replied, setting his hot chocolate down to wave at Elliot and Elijah and make them giggle.

 

Cara rolled her eyes; _mental health_ was just a term for people who couldn't keep their shit together. "I don't know why you wanted to meet me at the mall; there's a perfectly good coffee machine at home. Speaking of, I need a coffee; you'll look after the twins?" she said over her shoulder as she headed to the counter without waiting for an answer.

 

"Of course I will. Always gonna look after you, aren't I?" Craig cooed.

 

Elijah grinned up at his uncle, freckles appearing on his face. Beside him, Elliot laughed and waved up at his uncle with six-fingered hands.

 

"Super Jesus, look at you both!" Craig said, trying hard not to be too loud in his excitement.

 

Cara returned while he was still cooing over the twins. She sat across from him, frowning at his behaviour, and sipped at her coffee. "You heard about Dad? I can't believe those bastards would betray him like that, after all the work he did for them," Cara said, her jaw clenched.

 

"He was stealing their pension money, Cara, _and_ taking bribes from the competition to provide information that would ruin the company," Craig replied incredulously.

 

"So what? He doesn't deserve to be in prison over that. There are worse people out there," she added, her gaze flicking over to him.

 

Craig forced himself not to throw his drink in her face. He wasn't going to waste five bucks worth of hot chocolate on _her._ Craig was glad that his sister didn't know that their father had attacked him as well as embezzled money; she'd probably think he'd been right in that, too. "How's things going with Victor? You said you didn't need me to babysit for your date night last week," he added.

 

Cara set her mug down too quickly, the cracking sound of ceramic on glass loud even in the mall. "He wants to go to _couples therapy_ ," she sneered, spitting the words out.

 

"That's good. Isn't it? Victor obviously wants to make your relationship work and he's willing to talk about it in an environment where you'd both be comfortable and safe," he said.

 

Cara laughed cruelly. "Oh, you're so sensitive and _weak_ , Craig. But _I'm_ not. No, I know what he's really doing."

 

Craig sighed. "What's Victor really doing, Cara?"

 

"He's trying to get the twins away from me. Just this morning, he said he'd take them out to the park and look after them for the day! Can you imagine that?!

 

"Besides, I _know_ that he's doing this whole couples therapy thing as a way to prove that I got pregnant just so he'd marry me. He doesn't _love_ me, he's only staying with me because of the twins, and if I lose them, I lose my husband."

 

"But you don't even _like_ him."

 

"That's what being married is about, Craig: pretending to love your partner so they'll stay with you for another year," Cara sneered. "His social standing is what's important. I need him to have that societal influence for myself. Do you honestly think Edith would invite me to all of those luncheons and charity galas if I _wasn't_ married to her son?"

 

Craig honestly couldn't bring himself to answer that. He and his friends had all received an invitation to an upcoming charity gala from Hyacinth, Edith, and Frieda, all of whom planned to take them shopping for the occasion. The gala itself was to celebrate the addition of the Monet painting to the Maxville Art Gallery, where Frieda was to be the guest of honour due to her donation. The charity side of the gala was a way to raise money for the gallery's local arts program.

 

Craig wanted to rub the invitation in his sister's face, since he knew that Edith hadn't invited Cara, but he knew that she'd be pissed off and would probably refuse to let him see the twins again.

 

The ground beneath them started to rumble, a slow build that turned into the building shaking, the lights flickering, people screaming in surprise and fear at the earthquake beneath their feet.

 

Craig shifted under his shirt and threw himself over the twins and their stroller, protecting them. Overhead, the coffee shop's sign swayed dangerously, the screws creaking as the building moved, and with a loud wrenching sound, the sign fell directly onto Craig's back. It splintered into pieces as it hit his reinforced back, Craig letting out a small grunt of pain.

 

Slowly, the building stopped shaking and the earthquake subsided. Craig stood up carefully, checking the twins were okay before looking at the building around them. There was some damage, mostly to the stores' contents, but a few people were scratched and bruised, and a lot of children were wailing their fear loudly.

 

"Cara?" Craig said, realising that he couldn't see his sister.

 

A flash of movement had him looking down, and he saw that Cara had moved under the table when the earthquake had started.

 

"Don't just stand there, help me up," she snapped.

 

Craig lifted her to her feet, not as gently as he could have. Cara had only thought about herself, not her children; if he hadn't been there, Elijah and Elliot would have been hurt by the falling sign. Cara's eyes widened when she saw the broken sign and she glared at Craig.

 

In the entrance, Will and Magenta had arrived - Magenta wearing one of Jetstream's cast-offs until her own suit could be made - and the media weren't far behind.

 

"Airborne, it's such a relief that you were here! You stopped the majority of the building from moving in the earthquake, is that right?" the blonde reporter said, holding her microphone out to him.

 

Will smiled broadly. "That's right, Tasha."

 

"I helped too, Tasha," Magenta said pointedly.

 

"Oh? And who are you? Airborne's never mentioned _you_ before," Tasha said with a pretty and sharp smile.

 

"This is Shifter, my side... Hero Support," Will introduced.

 

"How lovely. And how did you help, Shitter?"

 

" _Shifter_ ," Magenta corrected, her cheeks burning.

 

Tasha ignored the correction and returned her attention to Airborne, reaching out to touch his bicep and cut the camera's view of Magenta. "The people of Westville must be so proud to have you as their Hero, Airborne."

 

A loud scream had the cameraman whirling and Tasha running towards the noise.

 

"Just you wait until Dad gets bailed out; you're going to the first super conversion therapy place that will take you! How dare you save _them_ over me? I am your sister! And don't even think you can go crying to your boyfriend and girlfriend, _you_ _greedy freak!_ They're going to leave you as soon as they realise what you are! You're going to be fixed, you're going to be _normal_ , and so are the baby freaks! I'm going to make you all normal if it's the last thing I do!"

 

Craig stood there as Cara screamed at him and hoped that this would all be worth it in the end. He'd already shifted his face so no one would see him breaking down at her words, at the piercing doubts, at everything he was being thrown in his face. He clutched at the twins' stroller handles tightly, his hands sweaty, and all he wanted to do was get the hell out of there.

 

Over her shoulder, the reporter and cameraman were zooming in on Cara's outburst. Around them, citizens were making their way out of the mall to the arriving medics to treat their shock and bruises. Will and Magenta continued to help and guide the citizens, Will glancing over to the camera and hoping they'd turn back to see what great work he was doing. Magenta saw where he was looking and glowered at the blonde reporter, wishing she could shift and bite her ankles or something.

 

"Good morning, citizens. For your own safety, you should head outside," Will announced, interrupting Cara's ranting.

 

"Don't you tell me what to do, you spandex-clad freak!" Cara snapped, turning around. Her face burned bright red when she saw the reporter and cameraman standing there. "How dare you! Delete that! It's an invasion of privacy! I'll sue you, I know people who will make your lives a living Hell - "

 

"We're reporting _live_ here from Westville Mall," Tasha said, turning to the camera and ignoring the outraged citizen behind her. "Airborne and his sidekick have just saved the citizens of Westville when an earthquake shook the mall down to its foundations, Airborne using his super strength to keep the building steady. It's lucky WET sent through the seismic activity register early this morning and, as always, we're lucky to have an amazing Hero like Airborne to protect us. Of course, not _everyone_ agrees," she said, glaring over her shoulder at Cara, who was now pale as a ghost.

 

"The video evidence is overwhelming. I saw the video evidence on the news, I'm surprised they didn't edit it," Hyacinth said. "Now, what about this claim that Cara was manipulating her husband?" she asked, looking between Ms. Martin, Honey, Craig, and Victor.

 

Victor still looked stricken about everything that had happened to Craig, and how Cara had threatened his children. He soothed Elliot against his chest and continued to bounce Elijah on his knee gently.

 

Craig swallowed hard at this, knowing that Victor didn't truly know the extent of what Cara had done. Setting his phone down, he pressed play on the recording he'd taken at the café. His sister had never thought that he'd record their conversation, knowing that she could threaten him by not allowing him to visit the twins, so Cara had thought she was safe to say whatever she wanted without consequence.

 

Victor let out a strangled noise when he heard Cara saying how she'd gotten pregnant just to marry him, the disbelief continuing as he heard his wife of three years talk about using him for his social standing, for his mother's influence, for her own gain. Elliot whined at his father's anguish, and Victor inhaled deeply, closing his eyes tightly as he settled his son down again.

 

"I retract my previous offer; I'm applying for full custody," he said firmly.

 

Ms. Martin nodded and pulled the appropriate paperwork out of her briefcase. She'd heard the evidence earlier for herself and knew that Victor wouldn't want Cara anywhere near the twins once he'd heard it as well. As soon as the correct sections were signed, Ms. Martin handed the forms to Hyacinth.

 

"Thank you, dear. Victor Harland, you now have sole custody of Elijah and Elliot. Your application to be Craig's guardian has also been accepted," Hyacinth said. "As it's doubtful that your ex-wife will remain in jail for long, I suggest you take measures to ensure that she won't be able to come anywhere near your beautiful children."

 

"Thank you," Victor said.

 

He hated the idea of taking out a restraining order against Cara, but Victor knew that he had to in order to keep his sons safe. At least there was a super restraining order that would mean that Cara _literally_ wouldn't be able to come anywhere near Elliot and Elijah.

 

"I didn't know you'd applied to be my guardian, Victor," Craig said, taking Elijah up and cuddling him close before pressing a kiss to his head and settling him in the stroller.

 

"You're my brother-in-law, Craig. I'm not going to leave you out in the cold, not when you saved my sons, not when you love them as much as you do. I'd never keep Elijah and Elliot from you," Victor said, shaking his head, before setting Elliot in the stroller next to his brother.

 

Craig hugged Victor tightly, surprising him. Victor smiled and patted Craig's back.

 

"Come on, let's get out of here. I'd better put in the super restraining order before Cara gets bailed out of jail," Victor said with a reluctant sigh.

 

"Can we put the twins somewhere outside to watch her bounce off the super restraining barrier?"

 

"Super Jesus, Craig, _no_."

 

...

 

End of the sixty-sixth chapter.


	67. Chapter 67

Cara paced up and down the short distance of the cell she'd been put in.

 

 _Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will land me in prison for a fucking week_.

 

"Harland, your bail's been posted," a guard said, the prison door swinging open.

 

Surprised, but not stupid enough to question it, Cara left the cell quickly and headed to the processing area to get the fuck out of there sooner rather than later.

 

Cara knew that she hadn't been well-liked by the other women in Edith's societal circle, but she thought that maybe one or two might have agreed with her. _Would they have agreed with her enough to get her out of jail, though?_ In all honesty, Cara thought that they'd just agree in quiet whispers while she was left to rot and languish in prison; better her than them.

 

Stepping out into the prison's waiting area, Cara looked around to see who her mysterious benefactor could be. Her stride faltered when she recognised someone: Greta Auden.

 

"I saw your little rant on the news; I thought we could help each other," Greta said with a smile.

 

Greta had figured out that as long as she didn't hurt or think about hurting Layla _personally_ , there were no phantom thorns, no anguishing pain in her body. As long as someone else could do her dirty work, Greta herself would be fine.

 

It had taken a while to come up with the money for Cara's bail. While anti-super words weren't illegal, insulting the son of the Commander and Jetstream meant Cara's bail was greater than her sentence. Greta had needed to sell off several priceless paintings to get Cara released.

 

Cara hesitated. She'd seen how Greta had been cast out of high society faster than a speeding bullet and she knew the same would happen to her, if it hadn't already, of course. At the time, she had thought nothing of it, Greta was no one and nothing to her. She'd only cared because it had freed up a top rung on the unofficial society ladder, and Cara craved, _needed_ , that spot for herself. Now, she couldn't even _see_ the damn ladder, let alone a single rung of it. She'd been cast out, she was alone without a family, without friends, and even her own mother hadn't come to see her.

 

In fact, the last Cara had heard, her mother had decided to go on a round-the-world cruise since she couldn't handle the pain of seeing her husband in jail. Cindy probably didn't even know that Cara had been arrested as well.

 

Still, from what she knew of the woman in front of her, Cara knew that her bail would come at a price. She wondered how much she was truly willing to pay for her freedom.

 

"How can we help each other?" Cara asked, leaving with Greta.

 

On the way out, they passed a blonde and brunette couple who were so unremarkable that Cara didn't even glance at them. If she had, she would have recognised Grant and Jewel from Heidi's party, the two _normal_ people her brother had lusted over in front of everyone.

 

Grant and Jewel, however, recognised Cara leaving the police station. They didn't recognise the woman she was with, so they took a quick photo of the two women and returned to their car, Jewel fuming at their missed opportunity.

 

"I was going to have so much fun turning that bitch to stone. Damn it," she snapped, making sure her gloves were on tight before taking the steering wheel.

 

"We should follow them," Grant said, though he was annoyed as well.

 

He'd even bought a sledgehammer. He still hadn't worked out how to get it into the prison, but Grant was sure he would've thought of something if Cara hadn't been bailed out earlier than they expected.

 

"No shit," Jewel muttered, reversing out of her parking spot and following the car.

 

Grant snickered at her response, then sent the picture through the group chat he and Jewel had recently been added to.

 

_Who's this with Cara?_

 

Warren: _Layla's great aunt. Where are you?_

 

Grant: _Maxville police station. We're following them_.

 

Warren: _Adam, can you get them out to the Hive?_

 

Adam: _I can get them in that direction with traffic lights_

Adam: _doesn't mean they'll end up at the Hive though_

 

Warren: _try. I'll meet you there_

 

"What's going on, Grant?" Jewel asked tersely.

 

"Adam's going to try to direct them out to the Hive; Warren said he'd meet us there," Grant replied, though he didn't know how Warren would get there with the bus not running for another hour and Warren without his license.

 

"Follow them or go straight to the Hive?" Jewel asked.

 

"Follow them, just in case."

 

Jewel nodded and kept driving. She stayed a few metres back from the car in front, ensuring that she followed the proper procedure they'd learnt in Driving for Heroes.

 

Across town, Warren looked at the photo of Greta and Cara. More specifically, he looked at Layla's brooch that Greta was _still_ wearing. Calling Mrs. Woo to let her know he'd be late for work, Warren left the house and jogged down the street to the nearest manhole.

 

 _He wasn't missing this chance_.

 

...

 

Layla had spent the morning helping Ethan, Zach, and Heidi pack their belongings. Craig had helped, since he'd taken what he needed already and Victor had promised to buy the rest. They had to study anyway; with finals only a week away, the stress of trying to remember a year's worth of work mounted and lifting heavy boxes helped Craig de-stress. Zach wished he hadn't packed all of the baking trays away already.

 

"Guys? I think we should have left our phones on loud," Ethan said, scrolling through all of the messages they'd received in the group chat.

 

"What's happened?" Layla asked, even as she reached for her phone.

 

"Greta bailed Cara out of jail; Grant and Jewel were there for whatever reason and followed them out of town; Warren wanted them taken to the Hive; Adam tried... no, wait, he actually managed it. Apparently there's construction going on in the paddock next to the Hive?" Ethan said, looking up from his phone to see both Layla and Craig looking pale.

 

"Obviously, something else is going on; what did we miss?" Zach asked, looking between them.

 

Craig licked his lips nervously. "Jewel kind of... promised to jewellify whoever had hurt me?"

 

"That's so sweet of her," Layla said.

 

"I know, right? I totally thought she was just saying it, but if they went to the prison, I mean... they were really going to do it," Craig said incredulously.

 

"Uh huh. And Warren?"

 

"Greta's still wearing my mother's brooch; Warren's probably going to get it back through whatever means necessary," Layla said, shrugging.

 

"We can't just kill everyone who pisses us off," Ethan muttered. "Where would it stop? Someone cuts you off in traffic, someone says something behind your back, what, their lives are forfeit?"

 

"I killed someone who was rude to Warren and hit on him."

 

"One of Mr. Phillips' friends? Ha, knew it!" Zach crowed, then looked contrite when Ethan glared at him. "What? I've been trying to think of the reason why them for _months_."

 

"Am I the only one who has a problem with this?" Ethan asked incredulously.

 

"In this room? Yeah, probably," Craig snorted.

 

Ethan sighed and shook his head. "We need to be _smart_ about this."

 

Layla stood up. "You're right. But either way, I want to see what's going on," she said, grabbing her bag.

 

"We're not asking my mother to drive us to what's potentially a murder scene," Ethan hissed as he grabbed his bag and followed her, Zach and Craig hurrying after them.

 

"Oh, I wouldn't ask Anita to do that. I know a shortcut," Layla replied.

 

"We're, uh, just taking a break, Ma," Ethan called. "Going for a walk around the neighbourhood for some fresh air. We'll be back later!"

 

"All right. Take your keys with you, I'll take Heidi paint shopping with me; I think we need a break too, don't you, Heidi? Yes, Richard, you can buy paint for your creepy little people," Anita added, rolling her eyes fondly at her husband.

 

Grabbing his house keys from the hook at the front door, Ethan hurried after his friends and hoped that he wouldn't become an accomplice in whatever was happening at the Hive.

 

_A witness was different to an accomplice, right?_

 

...

 

"You know, these last few weeks have been really interesting," Jewel said in a conversational tone, smiling pleasantly. "Even just three-odd weeks of practising with my powers, actually being _allowed_ to use them, it's been _exhilarating_. I still don't have full control, but I have enough," she said, taking her glove off.

 

Cara flinched back at the sight of her sparkling _unnatural_ skin, her mind screaming _not normal, freak, freak, freak!_

 

"Grant's been telling me for weeks to be patient; patience isn't my forte, so this is like torture to me. Of course, for you, it's _actual_ torture," she said, pressing her hand on Cara's and watching with vindictive pleasure as Cara started to turn into a jewel.

 

The process was made slower with Jewel's control, and she smirked as Cara screamed in pain behind her gag.

 

"Stop!"

 

Curious, Jewel stopped the transformation, and watched the doorway as Ethan approached with their friends. "Why?"

 

"Oh, not you, Jewel. Where's Warren and Greta?" Ethan asked.

 

"A few combs down. Follow the smell of burning," Jewel said, grinning.

 

Cara's eyes widened when she saw her brother there, and behind her gag, she started begging for help.

 

Craig entered the room, curious and cautious, his eyes widening when he saw his sister's hand had taken on a shiny rock-like quality. "You really meant it, didn't you?"

 

"Of course we did, babe. Jewel's been having fun monologuing; Cara insisted on screaming for help when we took the gag off, even though I told her that the machinery in the next paddock is drowning everything out," Grant said, smirking from where he was sitting, a sledgehammer resting beside him.

 

"I should've brought the twins to watch her bounce around. Super restraining order," Craig added.

 

"Do you know how long it took to find the secret tunnel entrance to this place? You'd better not have started anything without us," Donny snapped, leading Wendy through the comb to where the others were.

 

"You want to watch with me, babe, or do you want to have a turn?" Grant offered, smiling at Craig.

 

"I might just watch. For now," he added when Cara looked far too smug, even with a gag on.

 

Grant's smile turned to a wide grin and he held out his hand, tugging Craig down to sit on his lap. "Tell us the moment you need us to stop, okay?" he said, hooking his chin over Craig's shoulder and wrapping his arms around his stomach.

 

Craig's cheeks burned, but he relaxed back against Grant's chest and held his hand.

 

Jewel grinned and stopped controlling her power, letting the stone continue to crawl up Cara's arm. Bound and gagged in her chair, Cara screamed.

 

...

 

Jewel had been right about the smell of burning. The scent was overwhelming, and Ethan covered his mouth and nose, suddenly thinking that he might become a vegetarian after all this was over.

 

"Stop!" he called out when he saw Warren.

 

Greta was unconscious in her chair, burn marks littering her body. In stark contrast, Layla's brooch had been unpinned and set aside carefully where no harm would come to it.

 

"Why the fuck would I do that?" Warren snapped, his arms alight.

 

"She's put a contingency in place for something like this," Ethan said, holding his phone out for Warren to see.

 

Letting the flames dissipate, Warren took Ethan's phone to see the screen properly. " _Motherfucker_."

 

"I watched the footage Adam sent from the traffic; Greta didn't look surprised at _anything_ that happened, she _knew_ we were doing something to get her out here. I had Adam check over her files; he found this in an encrypted email. It's not all of it, some of the code wouldn't work, but it's enough. Greta just used Cara as bait."

 

"Shit. Get the others to stop," Warren said.

 

Ethan and Zach nodded, running back to the other comb.

 

Warren let out a growl of frustration, powering up until the flames covered him completely. Layla walked inside, smiling at Warren. Reaching out for him, the flames flicked across to her, and Layla kissed him, consuming him until the flames blew out around them in a flash. Warren opened his eyes to see the walls covered in soot and their flames gone.

 

"You were going to kill her for me?" Layla asked, smiling again and wrapping her arms around his neck.

 

Warren's hands fell to her hips, squeezing firmly. "She'd be dead already, if not for that fucking email."

 

Layla laughed, loud and bright, and kissed him again. "When Adam gets past the security, we'll be able to deal with her. Together, all right?"

 

Warren sighed, but nodded. "Anything you want, hippie. You get to keep your brooch, right?"

 

"Oh, definitely. It will fuck with her mind, if nothing else," Layla quipped, kissing his lips once more before pulling away to pick up her brooch.

 

"Can we come in or will we be incinerated?" Donny asked, looking into the soot-covered room.

 

"Whoa, what happened in here?" Wendy asked, staring.

 

"Found out that I couldn't actually kill Greta. I got a little pissed off," Warren said, shrugging.

 

"Super Jesus; what happens when you get _a lot_ pissed off?"

 

The sound of a jewel smashing into shards could be heard from the other comb. _Grant held Cara's forearm, stopping Jewel's power from working any further. With a wicked grin, Jewel lifted the sledgehammer and let it fall, smashing Cara's jewelled hand into pieces_.

 

Warren rolled his eyes and carried Greta down to the other comb, setting her down beside Cara, who had fainted after her hand had been smashed. Zach and Ethan collected the pieces, gathering them into a bag to add to the rock crusher next door.

 

"I can deal with their memories, but that won't explain the injuries. Any ideas?" Donny asked, even as he erased Greta's memory of the past day.

 

"Greta's old enough to be at that age where she leaves a hotplate on and accidentally leaves a tea towel on it," Zach suggested. "Not sure what we can do with Cara now that she's lost a fucking hand," he said, picking up a finger.

 

"She escaped prison and cut off her hand to get out of handcuffs," Grant suggested.

 

"Her bail's already showing on the system."

 

"Not for long," Adam's voice came from their phones.

 

"Dude, that was creepy. What the hell?" Craig snapped.

 

"Speaker access works both ways, dude," Adam said, amused. "Okay, I've reinstated her bail, put the money back in Greta's account, and added a warrant out for Cara's arrest after escaping. Also, you can keep Greta knocked out and put her in her kitchen. The amnesia would be more believable if she supposedly fell over."

 

"Good idea. Donny, you've finished with Cara?" Warren asked.

 

"Yeah, I took her memories to this morning before she found out she was being bailed out of prison," Donny confirmed.

 

"Great. Ethan, can you melt Cara down? I'll carry Greta back."

 

"I'll call emergency services," Layla said.

 

"You can't; it's too suspicious that you'd be there when she just so happens to have fallen and set her house on fire," Grant said.

 

"Anonymous tip?" Zach said.

 

"Use the voice changer I'm downloading to your phone," Adam said.

 

"Craig's right, that's totally creepy," Zach muttered.

 

"What about her car?" Ethan asked.

 

"It's a stick-shift," Adam added.

 

"I can drive stick, someone needs to direct me, though," Jewel said.

 

"I'll do that," Layla said.

 

"I'll carry her and I can start the kitchen fire, too," Warren said. "Hippie, you can get us inside, right?"

 

Layla nodded. "If she's changed the locks, I can just change the house's frame to let us in."

 

"What?" Craig asked, surprised.

 

"Oh, it's a timber frame, right?" Ethan guessed, Layla nodding in response.

 

"I'll drive your car after you," Grant offered Jewel.

 

"Park down the road so we're not seen hanging around when her house is on fire," Warren said.

 

"Don't leave without us; we're going to add this to the mixer next door," Zach said, taking the last of Cara's hand and hurrying out with Ethan beside him.

 

Taking a shortcut through the forest, Zach didn't even care when the trees tried to reach for his hair. Dumping the bag's contents into the mixer, Zach froze when someone called out, Ethan snatching the bag away and melting it down into his arm.

 

"Hey, what did you put in there?" one of the workers called out.

 

"Just some extra rock. It's handmade," Zach said.

 

"Shut up and run," Ethan said, grabbing Zach's hand and running into the forest.

 

Behind them, the trees blocked them from being followed, and they were soon downstairs in the hive once more.

 

" _Handmade_ , Zach, really?" Ethan groaned, Zach snickering beside him.

 

"So where are we dumping Cara?" Craig asked, then his eyes went bright as he thought of his own answer. "She could be coming after the twins; she doesn't know there's a super restraining order on her yet."

 

"You're just doing this so you can see her bounce off the barrier, aren't you?" Adam asked, sighing.

 

"Damn straight. Can you record it, too? Edith's got a home security system."

 

Grant laughed and kissed his cheek.

 

"Dude, I know. I've been hooked into that all week; you think I'd leave you alone in there?" Adam scoffed.

 

"Aww. Creepy _and_ sweet," Craig said, grinning.

 

"Nope, still just creepy. Eth, use the tunnels to take Cara to Edith's place. Adam, you can edit the security system footage if Craig and Ethan throw her at the barrier or something, right?" Warren asked.

 

"Shouldn't take too long," Adam confirmed.

 

"Come on, before people notice that Cara's missing or Greta wakes up," Warren said, lifting Greta and walking out of the comb and up to the Hive.

 

"See you later, babe. Drive safe," Grant said, kissing her cheek.

 

"Look after my car," Jewel replied.

 

"Of course."

 

"They get fresh air, we get the sewers," Zach said, scrunching his nose.

 

Layla had created stairs out of her vines and the rocks that Warren had blasted from the wall, so it was easier to get in and out now, but that didn't mean Zach had to like it.

 

"Remind me to get the sewerage system blueprints from the Council later. I don't want to end up on the wrong side of town because I turned left instead of right," Ethan muttered, even though he was already creating a map in his head.

 

...

 

Greta woke up in the hospital, her head pounding and her body aching. She frowned at her surroundings, trying to remember what had happened and how she'd ended up in hospital.

 

"Ah, Mrs. Auden, good timing. It's nice to see you awake. I'm your doctor, Dr. Samson. Do you know what happened?" he asked.

 

Greta shook her head, wincing at the pain that blossomed.

 

"You fell over while you were cooking in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the resulting fire destroyed most of your kitchen before it could be contained. Luckily, one of your neighbours spotted the smoke and called the fire department and ambulance. You've got quite a few burns, but they're mostly superficial; you'll be all right," Dr. Samson said with a smile.

 

Greta was silent for a long moment. Something wasn't _right_ about this whole thing. Greta knew that it _had_ to be because of Layla. _Her boyfriend made fire, didn't he? It wasn't_ ** _her_** _fault. She wasn't stupid enough to fall over in the kitchen, like some old invalid_.

 

"It wasn't me."

 

"You live on your own, don't you? There was no one else with you at your home," Dr. Samson said, frowning.

 

"I _know_ , but it wasn't me. I don't remember what happened," Greta said, frowning as she realised she couldn't remember anything after going to sleep the night before.

 

"Of course you don't, Mrs. Auden. You hit your head when you fell. That's why I told you what happened," Dr. Samson said, patting her hand.

 

Greta glared at him. "Your bedside manner fucking sucks."

 

Dr. Samson's eyes widened, then his jaw set, and he pressed a button on the IV connected to the back of Greta's hand. "Perhaps you'll feel better when you wake up, Mrs. Auden," he snapped, leaving her room.

 

Greta managed to give him the finger before she fell asleep.

 

...

 

Cara woke up in the prison hospital. She was strapped down on a bed, and could only move her eyes. Cara made a weird confused sound since her jaw couldn't move.

 

"Nice to see you awake, Mrs. Harland. Don't worry, the straps are only temporary. We can't have you escaping again, can we?" a voice sneered.

 

_Escape?_

 

"You got outta here and went straight for the kids. Home security video showed you screamin' that your husband took 'em away from you, that you were gonna make 'em normal."

 

"Of course, you didn't know he'd already taken out a super restraining order, did you?" another voice added, snorting in amusement.

 

Cara cried out at that. She'd seen the TV show, she _knew_ what a super restraining order could do to people.

 

"Must've been a super-strong restraining order; it took your hand clean off."

 

Cara's eyes widened. The nurses, who were obviously sadistic bastards, undid a strap on the bed and lifted her arms so she could see that her left hand was completely gone.

 

"You're lucky we didn't have to amputate your arm completely, y'know."

 

To the best of her ability, Cara screamed. The nurses lowered her arms and strapped her back onto the bed. A sharp sensation jabbed in her arm and Cara's screams slowly tapered off as she fell to sleep.

 

"Y'know, it's always the anti-super citizens that make me sick. Supers, y'know where you stand with them: good or evil, ain't no pretence about it. Citizens'll pretend to be good even while they're stabbin' you in the back. Anti-supers, though? They're just all 'round stupid," the nurse muttered to their colleague, shaking their head as they left the room.

 

...

 

"You know that villain the Commander and Jetstream fought about two months ago?" Grant asked suddenly, everyone looking up from their finals study in confusion.

 

"Nocturne?" Ethan queried.

 

Grant shook his head. "No, before that. There were the three villains?"

 

"Oh, right. The sword, the car, and the... jazz-hands?" Zach said, frowning.

 

Snorting a laugh, Grant nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. Well, jazz-hands, Ursula, is my half-sister. Same father, different mothers."

 

"Your father's the Incredible Genius, isn't he?" Ethan asked, excited to be proven right. "Did he experiment on the sperm or the egg? And why were her powers not as developed as yours?"

 

"Yes, he is, though neither of us were meant to know that. It was easy to work out when we were older. He told me about Ursula after I'd gone to see him in the Super Penitentiary. I met Ursula to see what she was like. We both get our smarts from him, though he hadn't intended that after experimenting on our mothers.

 

"Ursula grew up in a very strict household; her mother told her what to do and when to do it. She was never allowed to think or do anything without her mother's permission; she controlled her every movement; she's the reason Ursula ended up the way she did. She's also the reason Ursula snapped when Jetstream told her to give up," Grant said.

 

"Why are you telling us this now?" Adam asked.

 

Grant shrugged. "I felt like it."

 

"I'm pansexual," Craig blurted out.

 

"Subtle, babe, really," Jewel said, patting his hand.

 

"Uh, okay, are we just going around saying things we already know?" Zach asked, looking around. "'Cause I'm stressed, and I need to pass Mad Sci. with _more_ than a B-grade, or I don't beat Eric Takahashi, and I have money riding on this."

 

"It's a dollar, Zach," Ethan said.

 

"Wait, you knew?" Craig asked incredulously.

 

"Uh, yeah. You get flustered really easily, and Grant and Jewel don't call _anyone_ babe," Wendy said, shaking her head.

 

"Dude, remember that thing I told you about subtlety and how you aren't?" Adam pointed out.

 

"Thank you for coming out to us, Craig. That must have been very nerve-wracking for you," Layla said, hugging him.

 

"Next time, we'll just tell you we know you're pan; that'll save everyone a lot of stress," Warren said with a grin, hugging Craig as well.

 

"Doesn't need to be a next time now, does there?" Craig muttered.

 

"Well, you still haven't admitted you're in a poly relationship with Grant and Jewel," Ethan said. "What?" he added when Craig went bright red.

 

"We're not?" Craig said.

 

"We haven't talked about it yet," Jewel said.

 

"We were going to wait until after finals when we're not stressed," Grant added.

 

Layla rolled her eyes. "Go and talk about it now; there might not be less stress, but there'll be less sexual tension."

 

"Leave your phones up here, I don't want a record of this," Adam said, putting his headphones back on and returning his attention to his study.

 

"I guess they're right," Grant said. "You coming, babe?" he asked Craig, gathering a notebook and pen, and standing up with Jewel beside him.

 

"I wish," Craig muttered under his breath.

 

Jewel grinned and offered her gloved hand to him. Craig blushed, took her hand, and followed them into the lower hive, closing the trapdoor behind them just for good measure.

 

"Maybe I should ask Mum to buy more condoms," Warren said, shaking his head.

 

"We're going to a sex shop in two weeks; buy them yourself," Wendy said, rolling her eyes.

 

...

 

"Hey, we came down here to talk, remember?" Grant murmured against Craig's mouth.

 

"We can talk later," Craig said, kissing him again.

 

Jewel sighed and tugged them apart. "I can't believe **I** have to be the voice of reason. Talking _then_ kissing."

 

Craig grinned and kissed her once. "You sure?"

 

"Unfortunately, babe. Come on, sit," she said, tugging him over to the lounge.

 

"What's there to talk about, anyway?" Craig asked.

 

"Lots. We want to be clear about everything and communication is important for that. For instance, you might not want to be with both of us, or only with one of us at a time."

 

"What? That's... not right," Craig said, shaking his head. "I mean, not right for you two. You love each other, and I wouldn't want to separate you like that."

 

"See, that's why this is important. I'd get jealous if you two went on dates without me without discussing it with me," Jewel pointed out.

 

"You might want to go on a date with someone else, so we'd want to talk about it first," Grant added.

 

"You might want to have sex with me, but only cuddle with Grant," Jewel said.

 

"We want to make sure you feel as loved and respected as you deserve. We don't want you to feel like you can't talk to us, like you have to hide from us," Grant added, pressing a fingertip to Craig's chin so his blush was revealed.

 

"We want you to be comfortable, even if it's comfortable enough to argue with us about trivial shit, like pineapple on pizza," Jewel said with a grin.

 

"Gross," Craig muttered, making Jewel laugh.

 

Grant grinned at both of them. "That just means more for me."

 

"All right, I get it. So, let's talk," Craig said with a nod.

 

Grant handed his notebook and pen over to Jewel. "Jewel's handwriting is neater than mine," he said with a wink.

 

"That's because you think faster than your hand writes," Jewel said, but took the offered pen and paper anyway.

 

...

 

"Warren? I got your text; I'm still only 95% sure it's not Adam pranking me. By the way, if it is Adam, I'm going to think of something awful to do to you," Layla muttered at her phone.

 

There was no answer from her phone or Warren, so Layla continued through the Hive and out to their oasis where Warren's text had said he'd be waiting for her.

 

She reached the willow after a few minutes, the branches parting for her. "Oh, before I forget: I'm going to organise one of the plans with Donny. We've got the final assembly before finals, so this will be my last chance to get the seniors," she said as she passed under the branches, only to come to a complete stop.

 

Warren grinned when he saw her expression. "Do you like it?"

 

Layla nodded mutely, walking over to the blue hydrangea Warren had grown. He'd shaped the usual bowl-like cluster into a heart instead, the individual flowers of varying shades to provide the heart with more depth. As the breeze played with the hydrangea, it looked as though the heart was beating a soft and calming rhythm.

 

"It took three hours to get it right, but I've perfected it now, so I should be able to produce more quicker," Warren admitted.

 

"It's beautiful," Layla said, reaching out to stroke the petals gently.

 

"I'm hoping customers think so, too," Warren said with a grin. He stood behind Layla, curling his arms around her body. "As promised, the first one's for you. I wanted to show you first."

 

"Thank you, Warren. I love it," she said, turning in his arms to kiss him.

 

"I'm glad. Now, I know I said we'd study together, but what was this about a plan with Donny?"

 

"Study and explanations later; shirt off first," Layla said, tugging at his shirt.

 

"Anything you want, hippie," Warren said with a laugh, pulling his shirt off as requested.

 

Layla grinned, her eyes dark with lust, and pushed him back onto the bed. She straddled his thighs, then tied her hair back with a vine before proceeding to kiss him senseless.

 

...

 

End of the sixty-seventh chapter.


	68. Chapter 68

"As this is the final assembly for the school year, I just wanted to say good luck to all students in the upcoming weeks with their exams."

 

Principal Powers' voice continued on, a droning sound that started to wash over the students like the faded background sound in a daydream, nothing real and unimportant.

 

On the ground beneath the dazed students, vines circled through seat legs and between feet until rows and rows of vines created a writhing green floor.

 

"How are you doing, Donny?" Layla asked quietly, looking to the back of the assembly where Donny was standing with their friends.

 

"Don't talk; hurry up," he said, struggling to keep everyone's memory fuzzy while she worked.

 

Layla nodded and with a burst of power, the vines started to burrow into the students. Legs, ankles, thighs, hands, wrists. Any available piece of skin was immediately burrowed into. The students flinched at the feel of the mosquito-like bite on their skin, but it wasn't enough to jar them from their daydreams.

 

Warren helped Layla, though he ensured that their friends didn't notice, sending vine after vine into student after student. All of them were created with a combination of his flames and Layla's seeds, and they both hoped that the result would be more natural than the vines Layla had put into Mr. Brighton.

 

 _If they weren't, well_... Warren just supposed they'd have to take them all back out again.

 

Finally, the last vine entered the last student. The only thing to show for it was a tiny dot on the students' skin, no more remarkable than a freckle.

 

"Are you going to do that to us, too?" Zach asked as they hurried to their seats.

 

Warren practically carried Donny, whose control started slipping. Around them, the students and staff started to come back from their daydream.

 

Principal Powers coughed, realising that she'd trailed off unexpectedly. "Ahem, yes. Please take care of yourselves, do your best, and I will see you when you return for graduation. Good luck, students," she said with a bright smile.

 

Principal Powers ended the assembly as she usually did: turning into her comet form and flying out of the doors before the students could.

 

Behind her, it was a rush of students trying to get out of their aisle faster than the aisle on either side of them, the students eventually bottle-necking in the doorway, as they always did.

 

Warren stayed seated, glaring at any student that tried to get past him. Layla stepped to the side to politely allow other students to go before her. Ethan crossed his legs under him on his seat, while Zach decided to lie back on the chairs, his head resting on Ethan's lap.

 

Within a few minutes, Layla and Warren and their friends were alone in the gymnasium. As they were meant to use this day to study, they didn't have any classes to attend, so no one would notice them missing.

 

Zach let out a yelp as the seats began to lower back into the floor to be replaced by the city landscape. Ethan shook his head and stayed seated, eventually coming to sit on the floorboards gently.

 

"I think we need to get Nurse Spex for Donny," Warren said, seeing how pale and sweaty he was.

 

"Did he use too much power? Are you okay?" Wendy asked, rushing over to check on him.

 

"Food and sleep; I'll be fine," Donny said, breathing shallowly.

 

"I have some muesli bars," Ethan said, forming water drops out of his arm and offering the muesli bars to Donny, who looked at them with a frown. "I don't always have time to go to the kitchen when I'm hungry. It's also useful if I forget to eat," he admitted with a shrug.

 

"I've been stress cooking, which - let me tell you - is _not_ fun when there's a limited amount of cookware available," Zach muttered. "I brought a few containers of food; I'll go get them from my locker. I'll just be a minute. Unfortunately, I can't carry food around in my body."

 

"That's what a stomach's for," Craig said, frowning after him.

 

Zach laughed and left the gymnasium.

 

He didn't return a minute later, despite his locker being close to the gym.

 

"Eth, go check on him," Warren said.

 

Ethan nodded, melted down, and slid out of the gym.

 

"Something's not right," Layla said, looking to Warren.

 

"It's too quiet," Wendy added, gently lying Donny back down. "I don't like this," she said, leaving the gym.

 

A moment after she left, Ethan returned, sliding as fast as possible. He reformed, winced in pain as he reformed his organs incorrectly, melted and then reformed again, some water still on the gym floor. "I can't find Zach. Ben and Lisa are handing these out. It's not the final school paper I saw in editing," Ethan said, papers reforming from the water drops around him.

 

Warren picked one up, read one headline, and the paper immediately went up in flames. "Shit. Tell me I didn't read what I thought I just read?"

 

Layla picked a paper up herself, her vines blocking her emotions so she wouldn't result in ash instead of paper as well, and shook her head. "You read what you thought you read."

 

The front page had a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Brighton, the headline reading ' _local wife leaves her husband for "not being the man she married" even though she stayed with him for seventeen years while he beat their children!_ '.

 

The article included an interview with Mrs. Brighton, who said that her husband no longer talked to her, hadn't even said anything in response to her wanting a divorce, and she couldn't live with him like this anymore.

 

The article then went on to detail how Mr. and Mrs. Damsale had become legal guardians for Zach and his younger sister, implying heavily that Zach was in an incestuous relationship with his 'brother' Ethan.

 

"Looks like Benny-boy got his revenge on all of us," Craig muttered, seeing a photo of him kissing Grant and Jewel, one of him cuddling with Warren, and yet another where he was draped over Zach. The article beneath detailed both his father and sister's anti-super views.

 

"There's a whole page dedicated to you being nice _and_ evil, hippie," Warren said, letting vines block his emotions so he wouldn't set the paper on fire again. "I've got a half-page, most of it relating back to Baron Battle."

 

"I'm going to _kill_ them," Jewel said, her voice grating. She took both of her gloves off and handed them to Grant. "Hold my gloves, babe. Better yet, bring the sledgehammer."

 

Grant wrapped his arms around Craig and held him tight. "Are you okay?"

 

Craig shook his head, burying his face against Grant's chest.

 

"Warren, I need to stop my girlfriend from being incarcerated for the next three lifetimes. But just as importantly, I need you to look after Craig," Grant said.

 

"I've got him. C'mere," Warren said, taking Craig in his arms.

 

Craig's shoulders shook as he sobbed against Warren's chest, and Warren wanted to burn Ben and Lisa to a crisp for hurting him like this. Grant looked at Craig once more before running out of the gym.

 

"Hippie, what do we do?" Warren asked.

 

"First, we need to find Zach. Adam, he should have his phone. Can you pinpoint a location?"

 

"I've been _trying_. Sky High's too small to be precise. Fuck it," Adam snapped, then tapped an app and held his phone up. "Zachary Brighton, tell me where the fuck you are so I can go and spit in Ben's face for this."

 

"No," Zach's response was tinny through the speakers, but far too quiet.

 

"Give me that. Zach, please. I need to see you," Ethan said.

 

Zach's laugh was cold and dim. "No. No. _No_."

 

"Dude, I upgraded my speakers. They're not usually that bad; he's gotta be in a locker. Give me my phone," Adam said, closing the speaker app and opening a different one. He pressed a button and immediately, all of the school lights turned off. "Go. Find him."

 

Ethan nodded and ran. Outside, a storm had come out of nowhere, thunder rolling and lightning flashing, and they knew that Wendy had seen the paper as well.

 

"What next, hippie?" Warren asked, holding Craig, rubbing his back, and trying to ease his emotions, though he had no idea how successful he was.

 

Layla swallowed. She had plans and ideas spanning _years_ , but _nothing_ had prepared her for this. Layla had no idea what to do next.

 

_Bring the vines back out, get revenge? No, too many witnesses, it was too soon._

_Find Ben and Lisa, throw them off the edge of the school? Eventually, maybe, not yet._

_Do nothing? Too passive._

_Destroy Ben and Lisa? Too long to wait._

_Unless... Yes, that would work perfectly. They just needed to play it right_.

 

"Grab as many papers as you can, I know what we need to do," Layla said, an idea forming.

 

"What are we doing?" Adam asked, immediately picking up the papers.

 

Warren helped Donny stand, who was looking a little better after the muesli bars, but not any better thanks to the paper.

 

"We're going to Principal Powers. Text the following to the others," Layla said, listing her idea.

 

...

 

Principal Powers flipped through the paper, disappointment clear on every feature of her face.

 

Her office was crowded with both perpetrators and victims. Zach was shaking and trembling against Ethan who didn't look much better; Craig hadn't said a thing and Warren's shirt was actually wet with tears; Wendy was comforting Donny, who looked so pale that his veins were stark on his face; Jewel and Grant were crowded outside her office, blocking Lisa and Ben from leaving. Adam looked like he'd been sucker punched and had his face buried in his hands. Layla was shaking and had three tissues balled in her fist, tears in her eyes.

 

Finishing reading the last page with Craig's photos, Principal Powers turned the paper to the front once more, and looked up at the group at large. "I have contacted all of your parents or guardians, as the case may be. I have sent Ron Wilson, bus driver, to pick them up so you can go home for the rest of the afternoon," she added, hoping her gentle tone would ease the pale pallor on most of their faces.

 

"Lisa, Ben; I am severely disappointed in both of you. You've turned the school paper into a mockery, into a _rag_ for unfounded rumours and gossiping. It lowers the integrity of the paper, and I am ashamed to say that not even _Labyrinth_ would run stories as degrading as this. It is bullying, and it will not be tolerated. As of this moment, both of you will have your publishing rights revoked from both the school paper _and_ the yearbook."

 

"But the yearbook, the final paper - "

 

"The yearbook has others working on it, and as for the school paper, consider _this_ to be the final one for the school year," Principal Powers said, looking at it in disgust. "I will be calling the _Maxville Daily Paper_ to let them know of your disgusting conduct and retract my letter of recommendation for your summer internships," she said.

 

Ben's mouth dropped open. Beside him, Lisa made a noise somewhere between horrified and soul-destroying. "It's... it's _not_ gossip!" Lisa said, eyes wide. "There are... there are pictures! We _interviewed_ people!"

 

"You will **not** justify _this!_ " Principal Powers bellowed, shaking the paper at them. "You outed a student; you revealed emotional and _personal_ abuse of another; you accused a student of wrongdoings and compared another to their father with no evidence to back up your claims for either; you have brought their friends and family into this. It may have been an interview from your point of view, but all I see are two _petty children_ who are hurting others without cause or reason.

 

"Despite this childish behaviour, you will both accept your punishments as _adults_ ; it is **not** a negotiation. You're lucky I don't expel you completely! Now go outside and wait for your parents!" Principal Powers snapped at them, Lisa and Ben bolting from the room.

 

Realising that she was standing over the students, Principal Powers inhaled and forced herself to sit down once more. "I would like to talk to the rest of you about these allegations and... interviews. I have some personal questions I'd like to ask, and I understand if you don't want the others present."

 

"No," Zach said. "They can stay," he added, clutching Ethan's hand tightly.

 

Craig agreed hoarsely, the others adding their own agreement as well.

 

"Very well. You can change your mind at any time," she said, sipping her glass of water and hoping it would ease her sore throat. "Zach, the article mentioned that your father... hurt you."

 

Zach nodded.

 

"You didn't tell anyone?"

 

Zach shook his head. "I tried when I was a kid, when I was a citizen. No one believed me. My... my Dad said if I told anyone, they'd separate me and Heidi."

 

"Your younger sister?" Principal Powers clarified; she remembered the name from a new student application for the two-year waitlist.

 

"Yes, ma'am. Discovered her powers last week," Zach said, weak but proud.

 

Principal Powers nodded briefly. "And this _interview_ with your mother. You weren't aware of her impending divorce?"

 

"No, ma'am. Mr. and Mrs. Damsale took me and Heidi in almost three months ago. I haven't seen my mother since."

 

"Of course. Now, Grant, Jewel. I am to understand that you're in a relationship with Craig?"

 

"Yes, Principal Powers. Consenting and discussed at length," Grant said.

 

"You are aware he's sixteen years old? Jewel, you're eighteen; Grant, you're almost nineteen," Principal Powers said, trying to stress the importance of what she was implying without actually saying what she meant.

 

"I'm seventeen next week, Principal Powers," Craig said, hoping he didn't sound petulant.

 

"The age of consent is sixteen, we're not having sex, and we've discussed our relationship with both of our parents as well as Craig's guardian," Grant said.

 

"Victor Harland?" Principal Powers confirmed; it wasn't often that students' legal guardians changed, although she had three of those students sitting in her office at that moment.

 

"Brother-in-law; he treats me better than my actual family," Craig added.

 

 _Well, that answered her next question about his family's anti-super views_.

 

"And your mother?"

 

"She's on a cruise, last I heard."

 

Principal Powers bit her tongue to stop from saying anything and forced herself to nod instead. "Layla, these are some serious accusations against your character: using people for your own benefit; sabotaging the bus just so you could save the students; recruiting villains?"

 

"I don't know what to say to that, Principal Powers. I've been giving people fruit and helping freshmen with their homework, which apparently means I'm using people? I catch the bus to school, so that means I sabotaged it? I tried to make more friends, which means I'm recruiting villains? It just doesn't make any sense. It's ridiculous that someone would twist my actions like that when I'm just... I'm just trying to be the kind of person my mother would be proud of," Layla said, sniffing and wiping at her red nose.

 

On her wrist, she felt flames twirling as Warren held back his amusement. _Maybe she'd laid it on too thick?_

 

"That's all anyone could ask of you," Principal Powers said, offering the tissue box.

 

Layla nodded, her eyes watering as she took another tissue.

 

"Warren. I'm not even going to ask; these accusations are based on nothing more than who your father is. I'm sorry that you have to go through this again," Principal Powers said, shaking her head.

 

Layla blew her nose so she wouldn't laugh at Warren's disappointment in being skipped.

 

"Wendy, the storm... WET's weather report _did_ say there would only be heavy rainfall," Principal Powers said.

 

Wendy sighed. "Yes, Principal Powers. As I told Lisa at the time, WET's weather report is for the city of Maxville, not for Sky High. We have different weather patterns in the sky than the weather that's actually received on the ground.

 

"It's like flying on a plane: if you go above the clouds, it's sunshine and calm, but down on the ground, they're going through the worst storm of the year. We just weren't high enough above the clouds for Lisa to believe me," Wendy said, shrugging.

 

"Thank you, that does make sense," Principal Powers said, having experienced the same thing for herself. "Adam, I'm slightly confused about these allegations against you; it says that you've hacked everyone on your phone?"

 

"I spit acid, ma'am. I've got no idea how to hack; I just have lots of time-consuming games on my phone," Adam said. Before she could ask, Adam unlocked his phone and offered it to her. "Here, feel free to look. There's nothing more than _Kwazy Cupcakes_ , a messaging app, some more games, the phone, and a calculator."

 

Despite not really requiring the evidence due to privacy concerns, Principal Powers took the phone to look. There were a few more apps than the ones he'd listed, but they all seemed to be games: _Farming Farmer, Candy Collage, Angry Ants_. As she held it, two notifications chimed to indicate that crops had finished growing in _Farming Farmer_. Principal Powers handed the phone back quickly. "Thank you, Adam."

 

Adam nodded, took his phone and slipped it into his pocket.

 

Hearing the bus returning to Sky High, Principal Powers wondered if she could circumvent the impending anger of parents and super-parents. Standing abruptly, she smiled at the students when they startled. "Sorry. I heard the bus landing, so I think we should go meet your parents on the runway. You can collect your bags on the way; I'm sure you'd rather be at home than here."

 

"Thank you, Principal Powers," Layla said, taking another tissue as she stood and left, her friends echoing their thanks before following her.

 

Principal Powers exhaled, smoothed out her skirt, straightened her shirt, and left her office. "Lisa, Ben, come with me," she said along the way, not waiting for an answer.

 

What looked like the entire school was crowded in the hallway, all of them either reading the paper or gossiping about the paper.

 

"Boomer, I need a favour," Principal Powers said, seeing the Coach talking with Mr. Boy nearby.

 

Boomer straightened up and nodded. "Sure thing, Principal. Want me to throw 'em off the edge of the school?" he asked, eyeing the two students behind her.

 

"No, Boomer. Clear the hallway for me, please."

 

"Oh. Right. Easy," he said, turning and yelling, "GET INSIDE!" His voice was loud enough to scatter the gossiping students, as well as push a stack of papers down the hallway to the exit.

 

The very same entrance that the parents were walking up with Ron Wilson, bus driver, talking beside them obliviously. Principal Powers winced when one of the parents was literally smacked in the face with one of the papers. There was no way she was getting out of this now.

 

"Hello, kids. That bus was amazing; why didn't you tell me you had such fun every morning?" Richard asked, grinning at them.

 

"We were _all_ called out of work, is everything all right?" Anita asked, looking Ethan and Zach over, frowning when she saw the state Zach was in.

 

Ethan shook his head and took Zach's hand again.

 

"What's all of this about?" Nina asked firmly, seeing that even Warren, her usually stoic son, looked rattled.

 

"I think I can answer that," Frieda said, reading the paper after it hit her in the face. She showed the paper to Nina, then picked up another and another, handing them to all of the parents. "Tina, Greg, Chris, Jo, you're all lovely people, but after today, I never want to see you or your children again."

 

Lisa and Ben's parents faces reddened at the harsh words, and they all looked to the papers they'd been given.

 

"Principal Powers, you'll be hearing from my lawyer in the morning. If my priority wasn't Layla's safety and emotional wellbeing, you'd be talking to my lawyer right now," Frieda snapped. Her harsh expression faded as she went over to Layla. "Are you all right, dear?"

 

Layla shook her head, stuffing the last of her books in her bag. "I don't want to come back, Frieda."

 

"I completely understand, dear. Let's get you home and we'll talk, okay?" Frieda said, stroking her hair and leading her down the hallway.

 

"Lisa, come with me this instant."

 

"Ben, we're leaving right now."

 

Principal Powers stood there, a cold feeling washing over her at the thought of losing all of these students' tuitions. Another three years for some of them, not to mention future students with younger siblings and any children they might have. _Shit_.

 

They were gone before Principal Powers could think of anything to say. Figuring she had a reprieve to think of a suitable solution for all parties, she headed back to her office to _think_.

 

The walk to the bus was quiet with the parents and guardians fuming to varying degrees. As soon as the bus was in the air, however, it was a different story.

 

"Honestly, Lisa? All of this over a stupid food fight? I thought you were better than this."

 

"I'm disappointed in you, Ben. No, more than that, I'm _ashamed_. You're grounded the second we land."

 

"You're grounded too, Lisa, and don't expect any sympathy."

 

"I'm sorry you got called from work, Mum," Warren said.

 

"Oh, it's fine. Just a momentary panic that the school had dropped from the sky again. I'm still not sure if this is worse," Nina muttered, looking at the paper that was starting to crumple in her grip.

 

"Don't read it, Mum, it'll just upset you."

 

"I'm _already_ upset!" Nina snapped. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed heavily. "Sorry, kid, that wasn't directed at you."

 

"I know, Mum. Let me destroy that crap; it'll make both of us feel better," Warren said with a grin.

 

"Frieda, lend me yours later?" Nina asked over her shoulder.

 

"Of course, dear," Frieda replied, Layla curled against her shoulder.

 

Warren took the offered paper and lit it on fire, watching with pleasure as it burnt to ash.

 

"Do you want to talk about it, Craig?" Victor asked.

 

Craig shook his head.

 

Grant and Jewel both made their way down the aisle.

 

"Mr. Harland, can we hug Craig?" Jewel asked.

 

"If he wants to be hugged, that is," Grant added.

 

"It's up to you, Craig," Victor said with a nod.

 

Craig blamed the drop in the bus' altitude for the way he practically launched himself at them. Grant and Jewel guided him to the back seat so they could sit together, Craig curled up between them with their arms around his torso.

 

Grant's mother and Jewel's father looked from their children back to the paper where Craig's family's anti-super views were listed in black and white.

 

"You think Frieda's lawyer's bad, just wait until Heidi sees this," Anita murmured, tempted to rip the damn thing into pieces.

 

She knew she would need to explain to Heidi what had happened and why Zach was upset. The paper, unfortunately, would be a better explanation than anything Anita could vocalise. Anita couldn't help but wonder what Heidi would do to Lisa and Ben in response. Whatever it was, she hoped it _hurt_ just as bad as her children and their friends were hurting right then.

 

...

 

"Will, make sure to leave your red phone with your father before you leave for school," Josie called out, hearing her son's usual grunting and groaning noises to indicate that he was awake.

 

"Why?" Will called back, frowning.

 

"You have two exams today; you're not leaving in the middle of one if there's an emergency. By the way, I'm very proud that you spent all of yesterday studying, and I'm sure you'll do much better with your final exams than you did with your mid-terms," she said, smiling.

 

Her voice was far too close his door for Will's liking, and he hurried to make sure that his quilt covered everything, just in case she decided to come into his room. "Uh, yeah. I ended up having fun," Will said. "Thanks for letting me skip school to study."

 

"Well, it's worth it if you actually enjoyed yourself and learnt something. Now, don't you worry about a thing, except for your exams, of course! Your father and I will handle the phone today; we don't have anything scheduled until next week," Josie added.

 

"Okay, not a problem. I'll leave the phone with Dad," he said quickly, wishing she'd leave already.

 

"I only wish Westville was as progressive as Maxville and scheduled these fights. I'd worry about you less," Josie said, obviously forgetting that Maxville villains had only been scheduling their fights for a month.

 

"I'll tell the first Westville villain when I fight them; maybe word will get around," Will replied.

 

"Are you being sassy with me?"

 

Will bit his tongue, wincing when he drew blood. "No, I'm not! Uh, have a nice day?"

 

"Thank you. If I can close this six-figure deal, I'll be much happier," Josie admitted. "Now, don't forget to leave the phone with your father!"

 

"I won't," Will said, trying not to sound as though he was groaning in annoyance because that's _totally_ what he was doing internally.

 

There was a whoosh of sound as his mother _finally_ left, and Will flopped back on his bed with a heavy sigh.

 

"Do you think she knew I was here?" Magenta asked, her guinea pig nose peeking out from under his blanket.

 

Will had organised a study session with Magenta the night before, begging her to come over and help him with English. They'd barely made it through one practice exam before Will had convinced Magenta to have sex with him instead.

 

 _It was way more fun than studying, though there was no way in hell he was admitting_ ** _that_** _to his mother_.

 

He grinned and shook his head, then booped her nose. "She doesn't know anything, Maj. Now, where's my good morning kiss?" Will teased.

 

Magenta reformed and Will tugged her up his body so they could kiss. He stroked his half-hard dick in anticipation.

 

They could have some more fun before they needed to leave for their exams.

 

...

 

"Come on, time to get up. You've got to get to school for your exams," Frieda said, knocking on Layla's door.

 

After the school paper fiasco the day before, no one had wanted to be left alone, and as Frieda had more than enough rooms to house everyone, they'd all stayed together. The parents each had their own rooms, while the children had decided to camp in Layla's room, taking an excessive amount of pillows and blankets. Frieda was almost positive that she'd seen Warren carrying three blankets _and_ Craig at one point. It had taken two hours for the lights to stop flickering once Heidi had discovered what had been done to her brother.

 

"Do we have to?" Zach groaned.

 

"Yes, otherwise we have to repeat the whole year," Ethan said, though he didn't sound happy about the idea of getting up either.

 

"Anita made pancakes," Frieda cajoled.

 

The door was open in a shot and Heidi stopped abruptly, signing _hello_ before slipping her new hearing aids on and running downstairs.

 

"I think Heids is gonna eat everything," Grant mumbled.

 

Jewel murmured in agreement, but Craig was up and tugging a shirt on so he could follow after her. "Wait up, Heids," Craig called. "Morning, Frieda."

 

Frieda waved and looked into Layla's room, only to find everyone lying on the floor, blankets and pillows everywhere with Warren in the centre. "I'll get Darla to talk to you about orgies."

 

"Orgies are too messy," Ethan said, Adam agreeing with a wince.

 

"Who's Darla?" Wendy asked.

 

"The owner of the _Sweet Spot_ , the sex shop," Frieda added. "Lovely girl, she didn't even accept the bribe I offered to close the shop for the day."

 

Donny snorted, the noise muffled under a pillow. "That's 'cause you're her best customer."

 

"I'm glad being a loyal customer still means something to some people. Of course, as I've been a customer there for thirty years, I also get the gold member discount," Frieda said, smiling.

 

"Donny, erase my mind? Just, like, the last ten seconds?" Warren groaned.

 

"Why?"

 

"Frieda just said 'gold member' _seriously_ with a straight face."

 

Donny laughed and took the pillow off his face, hitting Warren with it. "You'll live. Now, get up; I want to see your new coffee drip at work."

 

"Oh, yeah. Did you put my coffee beans in the kitchen, hippie?" Warren called.

 

"Next to the coffee machine," Layla called from the bathroom. She opened the ensuite door, already dressed and slightly damp in patches. "Shower's free. Good morning, Frieda," she said, kissing her cheek. "Do I smell pancakes?"

 

"Yes. Anita made them. Heidi and Craig have already gone downstairs; there may not be any left," Frieda said with a smile.

 

"Dibs on the shower," Zach called out.

 

"I'm next," Wendy said.

 

"Want to shower together, save water?" Jewel offered, laughing.

 

"You're not my type, sweetheart."

 

"Diamonds are a girl's best friend."

 

"Craig, your girlfriend's flirting with Wendy," Zach called.

 

"Good for her," Craig called back.

 

"I'm putting an intercom in so you can all stop yelling," Frieda said, rolling her eyes as she went downstairs with Layla.

 

"I don't know that would work. We've all got phones, and they're still yelling," Layla said with a grin.

 

"Very good point, dear. Now, how are you feeling about your exams? Do you want me to quiz you over breakfast?" Frieda offered.

 

"If you don't mind, that might help my nerves. I'm still mixing up some dates from Lustful's autobiography, and I'm sure I'll need them for the essay section."

 

"I don't mind at all, dear. You get some pancakes, I'll get the book from the lounge and set up Warren's fancy new coffee drip," Frieda said, patting her hand.

 

"Thank you. The pancakes look amazing, Anita," Layla said, sitting at the dining table and grabbing one from the stack.

 

"Thank you. I've been up since 5am, and Frieda did offer the use of her kitchen, so I thought I'd take her up on it."

 

"Elijah and Elliot didn't wake you up, did they?" Craig asked.

 

"No, they were up at 6am. I sent Victor back to bed when I saw him trying to boil the milk carton."

 

Elijah and Elliot were in bouncers nearby, already fed and eagerly reaching for the toys hanging above their heads.

 

"Not a morning person," Victor groaned from where he was slumped at the end of the table.

 

Nina made a noise of agreement as she came into the dining room, clutching a cup of coffee. She sat down and looked ready to guard her coffee with her life.

 

"I thought you'd like this, Nina," Anita said, setting a jar by her. "Coffee butter spread."

 

Her words took a moment to sink in, but then Nina's eyes widened. "Yeah?"

 

"Don't know how good it is; you'll have to let me know. I made one for Warren as well. There's more too, if you want one, Victor?"

 

"Please."

 

"Warren's going to love you," Craig snickered.

 

"He should love me already," Anita said, smiling.

 

"Who should love you?" Ethan asked, coming into the dining room, shaking his damp shirt.

 

Zach followed him, combing his damp hair back with his fingers.

 

"Shower free yet?" Craig asked.

 

"Wendy, then Jewel and Grant."

 

"Your shower fits three people, right, Lay?"

 

"I don't know," Layla replied, frowning.

 

"Craig, no. You agreed to no sex, remember?" Victor said, indicating for him to sit down.

 

"Wasn't gonna have sex," Craig muttered, but huffed a sigh and sat down again. "Split another pancake with me, Heids?"

 

She nodded, her cheeks full.

 

"You look like a chipmunk, little sis," Craig said, signing to her as well.

 

Heidi grinned. Craig kissed her cheek and put half his pancake on her plate.

 

Frieda returned with the book and a large pot of tea. Warren followed her in with several empty mugs in one hand and his coffee in the other.

 

"That's a new mug," Ethan commented, taking a pancake and empty mug.

 

"Birthday present from Layla," Warren said, sitting next to her as Frieda started to quiz Layla on various dates she found from flipping through Lustful's autobiography.

 

"March 20th, 1991?"

 

"Lustful teamed up with the Spinner Sisters in their seventh appeal to stop harmful chemicals being used in the manufacture of household cleaning materials."

 

"April 4th, 1991?"

 

"Lustful escaped while the Spinner Sisters were arrested for spinning webs across Maxville."

 

"Isn't that the same date Jetstream's sidekick was killed?" Zach asked Ethan, who nodded in response.

 

"What date does Lustful's autobiography end?" Ethan asked curiously.

 

"April 23rd, 1991?" Layla guessed.

 

"25th," Frieda corrected.

 

Ethan pulled a book out of seemingly nowhere, flipping through the biography. "What happened on December 31st, 1990?"

 

"Lustful worked with CyberNet to add a virus to the American Bank of America's computers. She woke up on New Year's Day with two security guards."

 

"Jetstream and her sidekick worked through the night to defeat that virus. She states that the security guards fell asleep on the job, but there's no mention of Lustful. What about the Fourth of July in 1998?"

 

"Lustful asked the fireworks operators to aim all of the fireworks at the Maxville bridge."

 

"Jetstream and her sidekick stopped the bridge being attacked by redirecting all of the fireworks away from it. Jetstream ruined her favourite cape in the process," Zach said.

 

"When did Lustful stab Caesar?" Ethan asked.

 

"March 15th, 1989; Ides of March," Wendy said as she came into the dining room. "What's going on?" she whispered to Layla as she sat down and took a pancake.

 

"English quiz turned into a discussion."

 

"Jetstream's sidekick started with her on March 25th, 1989," Ethan said.

 

"I don't get it?" Victor said in confusion.

 

"I think they're the same person."

 

"The evidence is too circumstantial; it wouldn't hold up in court," Richard said, eating a plain pancake.

 

"This isn't going to help your essay, hippie," Warren pointed out. "By the way, Anita? The coffee spread is amazing and so are you."

 

Anita smiled brightly. "Thank you, cutie."

 

"Oh, not you too?" Warren groaned.

 

Adam walked into the dining room, still in his pyjamas. "Frieda, how long do I need to run the kitchen's cold water before it affects the upstairs shower?"

 

"They're on separate pipes, dear. There's a shared bathroom down the hall," she offered.

 

"At this point, I'll take it. They've been in there for ten minutes," Adam said, shuddering as he left.

 

"I'll get 'em out," Nina cackled.

 

"Keep studying, hippie," Warren said, kissing her temple before taking another pancake.

 

Upstairs, the sounds of surprised screams echoed from Layla's bathroom.

 

"Hmm, maybe there was too much coffee in that spread," Anita murmured with a frown, laughter and giggles erupting around her.

 

...

 

End of the sixty-eighth chapter.


	69. Chapter 69

Nina was finally awake and settled after both her coffee and toast with coffee spread, and had decided to read the Sky High paper. It wasn't long before her hands were shaking in rage. She was only on the second page and had already had to set the paper aside twice before she could bring herself to continue reading.

 

By the time she'd finished reading the rest of the paper, her blood was _boiling_ with anger and outrage on behalf of all of the children, not just her own. Nina knew that if she had Barron or Warren's powers, then the room would probably be ablaze or turned to ash already. As it was, her emotions were affecting her powers, and she realised that Anita was looking shellshocked and pale across from her.

 

"Sorry," Nina said, forcing herself to breathe and withdraw her power.

 

Anita breathed shakily when her emotions became her own once more, hiding her shaking hands under the table. "Don't worry, I felt the same way when I read it."

 

"Like you could... hurt someone?" Nina asked, wincing.

 

"To protect them, I'd do far more than that," Anita said firmly.

 

"You're not the only one, dear. Here, have some tea," Frieda murmured, pouring a cup for her.

 

Nina wondered if Barron had started off thinking the same thing. Then she looked at the paper and knew that Anita and Frieda weren't the only ones who would protect their children, no matter the cost.

 

...

 

The bus trip up to Sky High reminded them all too forcibly of the school paper that had been released the day before. Students went quiet, others stared outright, and some whispered as though they thought Donny wouldn't hear their thoughts.

 

"I don't have the time or energy for this petty shit. Jewel, quiz me for Comms?" Grant asked, offering his notes to her.

 

"You know I can't read your handwriting; I'll quiz you with my own notes," Jewel said, making sure Craig was settled between them before taking out her folder. "Pros and cons of supers using social media for both their alter egos and super egos?"

 

"Eth, help me with History? And Mad Sci.?" Zach asked.

 

"Focus on your breathing first or you'll hyperventilate," Ethan said, taking his hand.

 

"How are you feeling about English, hippie?" Warren asked as they squeezed together on the back seat next to the trio.

 

"A little better. Do you think the lunch break will be enough to study for Math?" Layla asked.

 

"We'll work on both. English until the ramp, Math in the air, sound good?"

 

Layla nodded. "Thank you. What about you?"

 

"My exam starts an hour after yours, I've got time to study," Warren promised.

 

"Adam, message me questions?" Craig asked.

 

"Fine, but for every one you get wrong, I'm taking away an hour of your internet privilege," Adam replied.

 

"Ah, _shit_. Fine. Bring it on."

 

Eventually, the rest of the students on the bus either started studying as well, or returned their conversations to their own lives.

 

...

 

Larry opened the front door, his smile faltering when he saw Ben and Lisa there. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

 

"We organised a finals study session with you last week," Lisa said.

 

"Did you space?" Ben asked, grinning.

 

"No. I just didn't think you'd come here after what you did," Larry said.

 

"After what we did? Are you talking about the paper?" Lisa asked.

 

"Yes. Will didn't like what you did, neither did Magenta."

 

"How'd they know about it? Neither of them were at school," Lisa said, glaring at Larry.

 

"I guess someone put copies in their lockers," he said innocently.

 

"What the hell, Larry? You said it was a good idea!" Ben said incredulously.

 

"Yeah, _idea_ , not to actually do it," Larry said.

 

"You traitorous bastard," Lisa hissed. "I'm going to tell Will what you did."

 

"He's already here with Magenta for our finals study session. Will's not happy with either of you; are you sure you want to face him? I can go get him for you," Larry offered.

 

Ben and Lisa both paled, shaking their heads.

 

"Who's at the door, Larry?" Will called out.

 

Larry smiled to himself and closed the door as Ben and Lisa fled. "Just some religious people asking me if I'd found Super Jesus."

 

...

 

"I can't believe we just finished three and a half days of exams," Craig said, ending with a loud groan that was even more relatable than his words. "Why do they do this to us?"

 

"To test our memories, mostly," Ethan said, sitting beside him.

 

"You're over the exams, right, Eth? If you say you're looking forward to next year's exams, I will find enough energy to push you off the edge of the school," Craig warned.

 

"Of course I'm looking forward to them; only 360 days to go," Ethan said.

 

Craig lifted his head long enough to glare at him, then rolled his eyes and flopped back down when Ethan started laughing.

 

"You'll learn one day," Ethan said, patting his arm. "Come on, let's get something to eat; you'll feel better then," he said, standing and offering Craig his hand.

 

Craig sighed, took it, and let Ethan pull him up to his feet. "I'm only moving 'cause you said there'd be food," he muttered as they walked to the cafeteria, still holding hands.

 

"I know," Ethan said, grinning.

 

The cafeteria was almost empty, with the freshmen still in their class, and the older students straggling in once they'd finished their morning exams, or arriving for their afternoon ones and stressing over their notes and textbooks. Most of the buffet had already been devoured though, the food remaining already starting to cool.

 

"Hey, Mr. Bowie. How's your day going?" Craig asked.

 

"Stressful. Exams aren't great for teachers either," Jared said with a slight grin. "I've just come to raid the buffet. No pizza this time," he added quickly.

 

"Don't worry, the health inspector took it off the menu. I suggest avoiding the calzones," Ethan added, adjusting his glasses.

 

"Oh? _Oh_ ," Jared said, wincing. "Thanks. I might stick with a salad. How'd your exams go?"

 

"I'm internally freaking about Mad Sci., but food's more important," Craig said.

 

"Good to know. What about you, Ethan?" Jared asked, piling his tray with the salad and dousing it with more dressing than was healthy.

 

"Slightly worried about Communications. I'm usually too direct to be considered subtle, so that could cause issues with my future Hero."

 

Craig snorted and shook his head. "Nah, dude, you've gotta be direct. Subtlety only results in hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Or, y'know, death via a vat of toxic waste."

 

"Oh good, nothing important then," Ethan deadpanned.

 

"I'm sure you both did fine. I'll catch up with you later about more foreign language classes over the break, okay? Don't eat the calzones!" Jared called to the students in general on his way out of the cafeteria.

 

"You left me in there, Ethan. I was all alone," Zach said, curling around his boyfriend's shoulders.

 

Ethan patted his forearm gently. "If I'd waited any longer, Mr. Boy would've thought I was trying to cheat or something. How'd you go?"

 

"I don't know. I freaked out for, like, five full minutes. I had to rush at the end and I couldn't even read my own writing," Zach said, sighing heavily. "Did I hear something about calzones?"

 

"Yeah, it's the old pizzas folded over. Don't do it, dude," Craig said, wrinkling his nose.

 

"Ew, gross. Any tater tots left?"

 

"I just took the last of them. Sorry, not sorry."

 

Zach surveyed the rest of the lunch trays as though he was trying to determine their toxicity by sight alone. "Salad it is."

 

"There's no chocolate puddings left. Damn, Adam's gonna be disappointed," Craig said with a sigh, looking over the labels for a third time, just in case he'd missed one.

 

"How much salad is considered healthy?" Zach asked as they headed to their table, his plate a small mountain of baby spinach, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes.

 

Someone had graffitied the table, scratching words like 'greedy man-whore', 'manipulative bitch', and 'baron bastard' into the table.

 

"Hey, they spelled 'manipulative' right this time," Ethan said.

 

"Man-whore, really? It doesn't even _sound_ right," Craig said. "Hold on, lemme fix this," he said, shifting. Laser beams shot out from his eyes, destroying a layer of the table and removing the scratched words.

 

"Thanks, dude. We still on for the orgy next week?" Zach asked as he sat down.

 

"Yeah, totally. I'm taking _Twister_ with me so we can really get into it," Craig snickered.

 

"I thought we were going to the new book talk: _How to recruit villains and manipulate people?_ " Ethan said, grinning. " _How to win friends and influence people?_ A very famous book? A less-famous parody movie is based on it?" he added when they just looked at him blankly. "Warren would've known what I meant."

 

"Probably, but you're stuck with us," Craig said, grinning as he ate a mouthful of tater tots.

 

Adam sat down next with nothing more than a bottle of water, the leftover food inedible or simply unappetising. He drank the water and pulled out his phone. Craig nudged his plate over so Adam could eat something. Adam reluctantly ate a few, then shook his head, not wanting to deprive Craig of his lunch.

 

Ethan drew out a pudding from his arm and slid it across to Adam, two muesli bars following.

 

"Oh, hey, chocolate. Thanks, dude. How many of those are you carrying?" Adam asked, frowning.

 

Ethan shrugged. "Enough that it doesn't matter when someone purposely steals all of the chocolate ones."

 

"Okay. Thanks."

 

"No graffiti today?" Layla asked, sounding tired as she sat down next to Zach. "So you're the reason I don't have any salad," she said, nudging him.

 

Zach looked at her with a baby spinach leaf sticking out of his mouth, then nodded guiltily.

 

"There was graffiti, Craig cleaned it up. They spelled _manipulative_ right today," Ethan said.

 

"I'm very impressed," Layla said.

 

Looking over to the window, she decided it was too far to walk, and took a piece of cucumber, a cherry tomato and a spinach leaf from Zach's plate. In a matter of seconds, several plants had grown from the seeds and leaf.

 

"Sorry, Lay," Zach said as he swallowed his mouthful.

 

"No problem, Zach," she said, leaning against his shoulder and closing her eyes tiredly as she ate her tomatoes slowly.

 

"Shove over, hippie," Warren said, nudging her ankle so he'd have room to sit down next to her.

 

Layla blinked and moved, yawning widely. "That Mad Sci. exam was exhausting. I remembered bleach, though. How was English?"

 

"Glad you remembered the bleach. English was okay. Not sure I answered the essay question completely," Warren said with a sigh.

 

"Excuse me, Warren?"

 

"Hey, Robin."

 

"Could you heat my lunch, please?" they asked, holding out their tray.

 

"You sure?" Warren asked; Robin was the first student to ask him to heat their lunch in a week.

 

"I'm sure," they replied with a firm nod, setting the tray in front of him and handing a dollar to Ethan.

 

"Okay, but let me know if anyone gives you trouble. I'll show 'em what Baron's bastard can do," Warren muttered, his hand lighting up.

 

"Thanks. How did your exams go?" Robin asked.

 

"I'll be pleased if I pass at this rate. I've got History this afternoon, and then I'm done."

 

"Good luck."

 

"Thanks. How's your assignments going?" Warren asked, wondering if it was better or worse that freshmen had to do another essay while the older students did exams.

 

Robin shrugged. "Could've done better on Comms; I'm not great at negotiating, but at least I know that already."

 

"Jewel's great with Comms; you should ask her when she gets in," Craig suggested.

 

"Oh. She won't mind?"

 

Craig shook his head. "Nah, it'll be fine."

 

"All done. I burnt the cheese a little, too," Warren said, handing Robin their tray back.

 

"Awesome, thanks! Good luck with your last exam, Warren."

 

"Thanks," Warren replied with a grin.

 

On the way back to their table, someone shoved Robin. They hit the floor, their tray upturned, and their lunch splattered on the ground.

 

Adam didn't look up from his phone. "Riley."

 

Warren was out of his seat in a minute, pulling the young freshman off his seat. "This what you do to get off, huh? Pushing people around?" he snapped.

 

Riley's eyes widened and he struggled to say something, but his collar was too tight around his neck and he could only manage a squeaking noise.

 

"After you've apologised, you get to buy Robin lunch, _and_ clean up this mess," Warren said, setting the freshman down, but keeping a hand on his shoulder so he couldn't run away.

 

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to push you."

 

"You didn't **_mean_** to _push me?_ " Robin asked, so utterly pissed that their _perfectly_ melted lunch was on the floor. Robin stalked forward and beneath them, the ground shook. "You. Didn't. _Mean_. _To. Push. Me?!_ Do you know what the definition of 'push' is? Because it's something you do with _intent_ , with _purpose!_ You don't _accidentally_ push a person over, Riley!"

 

Sky High was shaking across the building now, the foundations creaking.

 

"All right, Robin. He's learnt his lesson," Warren said gently. "I'll buy your lunch myself; you don't want that little slug's money," he said, letting go of Riley and guiding Robin over to the buffet line.

 

"I don't have another dollar," Robin said.

 

"You already paid to have your lunch toasted. I'm just making sure the job is done properly," Warren said with a grin.

 

Robin sighed. "Thanks."

 

"Where's the rest of your friends?" Warren asked curiously as he grabbed a tray and offered it to Robin.

 

They glared down at the tray. "They were stupid and believed what they read. Well, except for Justina and Terry. They had the calzones."

 

"Oh. Need me to sort out Rita and Todd?"

 

Robin shook their head. "They'll either come to their senses or they won't, no point trying to make them. Like my Gram used to say: if they don't have sense, they can't make a dollar."

 

Warren grinned. "That's an odd saying."

 

"Yeah, it is, but it always made sense when she said it," Robin said, shrugging.

 

They took a heaped serve of green beans and a slice of the lasagne, which seemed to be all that was left. Warren paid for the food and with that done, Robin made it back to their table without their lunch being destroyed again. Warren sat across from them and made sure to cook the lasagne through properly, burning the cheese as Robin preferred.

 

While the health inspector had been and Principal Powers had reprimanded the chef, it didn't mean the cafeteria's ingredients had changed.

 

"Enjoy. I'll see you at the graduation ceremony, okay?" Warren said, standing up.

 

"See you then. Thanks again, Warren," Robin said with a bright smile.

 

He nodded in response, then returned to his table. Spinach leaves, tomatoes, and cucumbers were sitting at his place setting, and Warren thanked Layla with a kiss.

 

"Hey, guys. Are you okay?" Magenta asked, giving them pitying looks.

 

"Fine," Layla said brightly, obviously lying. "How did your exams go?"

 

"Awful. I feel like I forgot every date for Jetstream and her sidekick's accomplishments," she said with a heavy sigh.

 

"Did you remember the CyberNet one, at least?" Zach asked.

 

"Yeah, though I had to go through the nursery rhyme just to remember how many days December has," Magenta said, rolling her eyes at herself.

 

"Well, that's one correct date. Besides, if you wrote enough about their accomplishments, the people marking the essays probably won't even mind that the dates were wrong," Ethan said.

 

"You think so?"

 

Ethan nodded. "You'll be fine."

 

Magenta smiled. "Thanks, that's really nice of you. I'm really sorry about what Ben and Lisa did. I've never seen Will so angry before. He punched a hole in the wall," she admitted, her smile fading. "He even showed the paper to his parents; Jetstream and the Commander have organised it so Ben and Lisa won't be active supers, even after they graduate."

 

"They can do that?" Wendy asked incredulously.

 

Nodding, Magenta leaned in to whisper, "They talked to the Mayor and Ben and Lisa are on a List now. Josie and Steve even told Principal Powers that they wouldn't send Will here anymore if she didn't do something about the bullying."

 

"If the Commander and Jetstream tell Principal Powers to do something about the bullying, that _must_ mean she'll do something about it," Craig said.

 

Magenta's expression fell at his sarcastic tone.

 

Layla sighed, then smiled at Magenta. "Sorry, Magenta. It's just... it's been a week and even with exams, we're still being bullied and targeted."

 

"I had to clear the table of graffiti; apparently, I'm a _greedy man-whore_ ," Craig said sourly.

 

"I'm _Baron's bastard_ ," Warren bit out.

 

"And I'm a manipulative bitch, so... You can imagine how we feel trying to get through our exams with this kind of abuse being hurled at us," Layla said, her smile too brittle to be real.

 

"It's difficult to believe that the Commander and Jetstream or Principal Powers are actually _doing_ anything when we're still going through this," Wendy added bitterly.

 

"You think people would be more worried about their exams than us," Ethan admitted, shaking his head and then adjusting his glasses.

 

Magenta's eyebrows furrowed as she thought about their words. She could see the remnants of scratched words on the table's surface, her jaw clenching. Layla had done so much to help her, to be her friend, while Lisa and Ben had ignored her. They'd only talked to her because she was dating Will, but Layla had gone out of her way to befriend her _despite_ that. "I'll see what I can do."

 

"Oh, we don't want you getting into trouble, Magenta."

 

She shook her head. "I won't. It's the least I can do. Besides, I'm Will's Hero Support now, he has to listen to me," Magenta added.

 

"Congratulations on getting the gig," Wendy said, grinning.

 

"Thanks. I'd better eat if I'm going to make the bus back down to Maxville," Magenta said. "See you at the senior graduation," she added before leaving.

 

Layla leaned against Warren, her eyes flashing green as she blocked her desire to laugh.

 

 _She was such a manipulative bitch_.

 

...

 

"Good afternoon, Sky High, this is Principal Powers," she answered the phone distractedly, looking through the senior graduation's schedule and wondering whether letting Boomer be the MC was such a good decision.

 

"Linda, how are you?"

 

Principal Powers refrained from sighing and set the schedule aside. "I'm good, thank you, Josie. How are you?"

 

"I'm surprised to hear that, honestly, Linda," Josie said tersely. "I've just been informed that these bullies are _still_ harassing those poor children. I've known Layla since she was a baby, and I am disgusted to hear that she's being treated this way."

 

Biting her tongue so she wouldn't point out that the children Josie was defending were the _only_ ones that hadn't attended her own son's birthday. Sky High wasn't a large school and some days, news travelled even faster than Boomer's sonic blast.

 

"You told me that you were dealing with the bullying, Linda. Do the Commander and I need to withdraw our support?"

 

After dealing with Ms. Bettendorf's lawyer earlier in the week, Jetstream's threat was _nothing_ in comparison. Not to mention both Ms. Bettendorf and her daughter had contributed more to Sky High in the last thirty years than Jetstream and the Commander's advertising and support ever had.

 

Swallowing these answers down, Linda closed her eyes to compose herself and answer calmly. "Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Stronghold. I am creating an anti-bullying initiative, and I will be working with the teachers here at Sky High to ensure that they do not allow nor perpetrate bullying of _any_ students."

 

"What about the graffiti? Surely that can be dealt with _before_ you implement your little initiative?" Josie said, _this_ close to sneering.

 

"Graffiti?" Principal Powers echoed in surprise.

 

 _The cleaners hadn't mentioned anything_.

 

"Yes. Apparently degrading words have been written over their table all week. Now, you and I both know how these little _cliques_ form in high school, and how every group has their particular table. Everyone in the school would have known exactly whose table that was, and what to say to target them," Josie said, smirking now that she knew something that Principal Powers didn't.

 

"Just one moment, Josie," she said, putting her on hold.

 

Tapping and clicking through several screens on her computer, Principal Powers brought up the cafeteria camera feed, rewinding to earlier in the day. She saw Robin being pushed over and Warren swiftly dealing with the offending freshman. Less than half an hour before that, she saw Craig shift and clear the words off the table - _that explained the cleaners_ \- and continued back carefully to find the culprit. The cafeteria was dark, but their faces were easy to place when the door was opened. Realising that Josie had said this had been happening all week, Principal Powers looked to the previous days as well to ensure that they hadn't coerced others to do their bidding.

 

The hold button on her phone flashed and she sighed heavily before picking the handset up again and taking Josie off hold. "Thank you for contacting me, Mrs. Stronghold. I will ensure that the culprits are dealt with. Have a nice evening."

 

Not waiting for a response, Principal Powers ended the call and went to her filing cabinet where the student records were filed so she could find the necessary phone numbers.

 

...

 

"Are you sure this will work, Eth?" Warren asked with a frown. "We're a long way from any of the microphones."

 

"I'm sure. Adam helped me set it all up, and we already tested it. It's got enough range to pick up," Ethan replied, then nodded to Adam.

 

Adam flicked a switch on the speaker in front of him, spun on his chair, and clicked a few buttons. There was a small amount of crackling before several voices were heard clearly through the speaker.

 

" - son and daughter continued with their bullying and abuse," Principal Powers voice came through the speaker.

 

"What? We haven't done anything!" Lisa cried.

 

"We've been in exams all week!" Ben said.

 

"I would not be accusing either of you without evidence," Principal Powers said, her voice stern.

 

"I find it hard to believe that Lisa would repeat her mistakes; I'd like to see this evidence."

 

"So would I. Ben should know better by now."

 

"Of course," Principal Powers replied, and there was a squeaking sound as her computer screen was turned to face Lisa and Ben and their parents. "You can see the tables are all clean in the morning, and then after you see them enter the cafeteria, these words are on the particular table for the students they bullied previously."

 

"Oh, Lisa," her mother's disappointment was clear even through the water droplet microphone and the Hive's new speakers.

 

"It's not me. I _swear_ I didn't do this, Mum!"

 

"I only left the exam to pee. You know how worried I've been about my exams," Ben said.

 

"I followed the cameras; it shows both of you leaving your exam within a few minutes of each other and going to the cafeteria, then going to the bathroom on the way back."

 

"It's not me. It's not!" Lisa protested. "It... It has to be someone else. Craig must have done this; he set us up!"

 

"Craig can turn into other people, I admit that, but he can only turn into _one_ person, not two. So even if he turned into one of you, the other still went along with the scheme. Besides, he isn't seen leaving the exam rooms until he finishes his exams."

 

From his position curled between Grant and Jewel, Craig made a noise of amusement. "Yeah, well, guess who can turn into _three_ people now," he said, smirking.

 

"Yeah, but you couldn't even shift a fingernail right now," Jewel said, sounding worried.

 

Grant shifted slightly so he could press a kiss to Craig's lips. "Rest, babe."

 

Craig smiled and snuggled down between them again.

 

"We didn't! We wouldn't!"

 

"Lisa, _stop_. Just stop," her father said with a heavy sigh.

 

"B-but it's _not me_ , Dad."

 

"Oh, Super Jesus, this is just embarrassing. I don't want to hear her blubbering," Donny said, wrinkling his nose.

 

"Agreed," Warren said. "It's probably going to go on for another ten minutes, and I want to know if the other microphones work."

 

"Can we record the rest? I want to know what their punishment is," Layla said.

 

Adam nodded. "Sure, I can do that. Just a sec," he said, turning his attention to the computer screen. "Okay, done. Where next?"

 

"Stronghold's Secret Sanctum," Warren said.

 

Adam changed to the Secret Sanctum, but it must have been empty, as there was no noise from the speakers.

 

"Adam had to stop Craig from beating Mrs. Stronghold's highest score at pinball," Ethan said with a grin.

 

"Would've beaten it, if not for you meddling kids," Craig mumbled, starting to fall asleep.

 

"What did you guys end up stealing?" Wendy asked, looking between Adam and Ethan.

 

"One of the Xbox remote chargers, all of the spare batteries we could find, six spare universal remotes - "

 

"I want those," Warren said, realising that he still hadn't replaced the one he'd melted.

 

Ethan nodded, then continuing listing the inventory. "Two pairs of Jetstream's earrings, one of the Commander's cufflinks, Will's dust jacket for Lustful's autobiography, and all of their USBs."

 

"I left replacements behind. As soon as they use them, we have access to their computers," Adam said.

 

"We also stole one of all of the socks from their laundry hamper," Ethan said, Wendy cackling in response. "I melted them down and flushed them down the toilet. I refuse to carry sweaty socks around."

 

"Honey told us to steal some things, too," Adam added.

 

"Four pairs of spare reading glasses, three teaspoons, a teacup and saucer, and half of the blue and black pens. Craig took the multi-coloured pens too, just in case."

 

"We're going to have to work out a proper storage system. I refuse to keep trophies, but if anything's useful, it needs to have a proper place," Layla said.

 

Ethan looked like his week had been made. "If we can add cups to the rooms, I can distribute the pens."

 

"I want to see the earrings," Wendy said.

 

Ethan nodded and started to draw out water droplets.

 

"You got actual _diamond_ earrings?" she said incredulously. "And pearls?"

 

"They were in boxes that were covered in dust. I don't think she'll notice that they're gone," Ethan said, shrugging.

 

"Dibs on the diamonds," Jewel said.

 

"I wanted the pearls anyway," Wendy said, grinning as she handed the diamonds over.

 

...

 

"How was your last ASL class?" Anita asked as she picked Ethan and Zach up, Heidi in the front seat beside her.

 

"Good. We had a test to see how much we'd learnt and then there was a party," Ethan said.

 

"Brought you cake, Heids," Zach said, handing her a bundle of napkins.

 

"You look much calmer than I expected considering we're moving everything to the new house today, Ma," Ethan admitted.

 

Anita smiled in the rear-view mirror. "Honey recommended a super company that does removals for us. After looking at the budget, and deciding on the cost of the truck, the hours we'd have to put in, and the chiropractor sessions after your father would inevitably hurt himself carrying the sixty boxes of books, we realised it would actually be cheaper to hire them instead. They had everything moved in an hour," Anita said as she drove Ethan, Zach, and Heidi to their new home.

 

"It's done?" Zach asked.

 

Heidi looked over the front seat and signed excitedly to Zach and Ethan, who grinned and signed back.

 

"Awesome, Heids! I can't wait to see your room.

 

"Everything's done, we just need to unpack. If we finish unpacking by next week, they'll pick up the cardboard boxes for recycling at no extra charge."

 

"It took us two weeks to pack. I reckon we can unpack in a week," Zach said, grinning.

 

"Did Zach's kitchen utensils survive?" Ethan asked.

 

"Yes. Richard's opened the boxes to make sure. You can put them away, Zach. Ethan, if you can do up a plan so I know where everything is, I'd appreciate it. I'd prefer not to spend an hour looking for a pot," Anita added, almost accidentally turning down her old road, and quickly turning off the indicator, looking to the cars behind her.

 

"They'd be in the cupboard next to the oven; glasses across from the fridge; mugs near the kettle; plates and bowls under the bench for easy access when serving up food."

 

"It sounds simple now, but there's more storage space than we realised. I swear Heidi could fit in one of the cupboards."

 

"Are you sure? Heids is getting pretty tall, aren't you?" Zach said, grinning at his sister.

 

She nodded firmly, then grinned and signed back.

 

"Taller than me? Maybe one day, Heids."

 

"Ah, here we are. Ready, kids?" Anita asked as she turned down their new road.

 

"I can see Frieda's house from here," Zach said, seeing her home further up the hill. "Doesn't Victor live around here too?"

 

"He moved in with Edith, if I remember correctly," Ethan confirmed. "She's a street over."

 

"Aw, yes! We can have, like, a little mini evil neighbourhood," Zach said with a cackle.

 

"Any louder and the neighbours would've heard you," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.

 

"Sorry, Eth."

 

Anita shook her head at them and spent a moment navigating the driveway - the front of her car was lower than she'd like and she'd already scraped it once today. They were soon parked in front of their new house, and all three kids were out of the car before Anita could say or do anything. Heidi laughed, grabbed her brothers' hands, and tugged on them to _hurry up_.

 

Anita locked the car and followed them inside. She could hear Ethan's excited talk about rearranging his books in the study, Zach's exclamation of surprise when he realised there was a _walk-in pantry_ , and Heidi's impatient noises to go see their rooms already.

 

Anita knew the moment they were upstairs to see their rooms because their noise stopped. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Anita knew exactly why they'd stopped and smiled as she headed upstairs. They were all standing in front of Heidi's room, staring with their jaws hanging open. Anita moved to stand behind them - she was just tall enough to see over Ethan, who was still growing as well - and smiled when she saw that Richard was hanging the last of the fairy and novelty lights that Heidi had received for her birthday.

 

They had decided to surprise Heidi by hanging them all up around her room. The newly painted soft yellow walls were covered from ceiling to floor in lights, hanging from the architraves with just enough room from the walls themselves that the lights swung a bit with the breeze from the open window. Heidi's bed had lights curling around the headboard, down along the frame, and on the legs themselves. Heidi was smiling so brightly that Anita thought she might start glowing like her brother.

 

"Richard," Anita said, drawing her husband's attention from the last set of lights he was hanging - the coloured unicorns, if she remembered correctly.

 

Richard looked down from the ladder, then set the lights aside and made his way down the rungs to splay his arms in the middle of the room. "What do you think? They're not plugged in yet," he added with a wink.

 

Somehow, Heidi's smile became brighter still. Around them, the hanging lights started to glow brightly, a myriad of colours reflecting off the yellow walls.

 

"Beautiful, Heidi," Anita said, hugging her gently.

 

Heidi turned and hugged her in return, then ran into her new room to hug Richard as well. She turned around the room, turning lights on and off at a whim. Richard hung the last set of lights over the wardrobe doors and followed his wife to their new room to keep unpacking. Behind them, their children were laughing and happy, and that's all Anita and Richard had ever wanted for them.

 

...

 

Greta glared at her doctor, quickly turning her gaze away when Dr. Samson looked over to her. If he caught her glaring, he'd probably keep her in the hospital for _another_ week. With the last of the forms signed, Greta left the building and went straight over to the taxi she'd booked to take her home and the hell away from the hospital.

 

At least she'd organised for the house repairs to be done while she was in hospital, so she should be returning to a brand new kitchen. The money she'd organised for Cara's bail had needed to be spent on the repairs to her house, but she could sell off a few more paintings to raise the money again.

 

Cara herself was useless, nothing more than a citizen, but she had to be _desperate_ for revenge after spending almost three weeks in prison. Greta could - and planned to - use that desire for revenge to her advantage.

 

 _Layla and that boyfriend of hers would get what was coming to them_ , she thought, smiling at the thought, even as she struggled to breathe through the pricks of pain along her skin.

 

...

 

End of the sixty-ninth chapter.


	70. Chapter 70

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Thank you for attending Sky High's senior graduation. We congratulate each and every one of these students, and know that their contribution to the community and world will be spectacular. Their futures await and the sky's the limit!" Principal Powers said, applauding loudly.

 

The crowd of students and parents clapped along with her.

 

Principal Powers smiled as she waited for the applause to die down - every year, without fail, there were some students who were far too eager and overzealous in their applause, but she gave them leeway during graduation. Even if they _were_ running five minutes behind schedule. She'd just skip the explanation of how senior graduation was done at Sky High: the parents would either already know, or they'd catch on quickly enough.

 

Adam: you need to see this

 

Jewel: is it important during graduation?

 

Adam: I'd wait if it wasn't.

Attached: yrbk.pdf

 

Ethan: it's the yearbook. How did you find it?

 

Adam: I was bored & wanted to see what it looked like, so I found the yearbook committee emails

 

Wendy: Will apparently has the Best Superpower

 

Zach: that's not even correct; he has two powers

 

Donny: Seriously, Ethan?

 

Zach: what's wrong?

Zach: ohhh. Can I just say I love private messaging?

 

Adam: ew. remind me to never look at your private chats

 

Ethan: that's why they're called private

 

Adam: dude, nothing is private

 

Jewel: most likely shine?! WHAT THE FUCK?

 

Warren: I got 'most likely to be a villain', surprise, surprise -_-

 

Layla: I'm most likely to be an eco-terrorist, apparently

 

Ethan: are you sure this is the final yearbook that went for publishing?

 

Adam: yep. It's the last email that Lisa & Ben sent to each other

Adam: someone in the yearbook committee found the email after Powers fired them

Adam: they must've sent it to the publisher without looking

 

Warren: anyone mind if I set the yearbooks on fire?

 

Grant: not at fucking all

 

Craig: what's yours?

 

Grant: it's not good

 

Donny: super fucking Jesus

 

Wendy: where are Ben and Lisa? I'm going to hit them with every lightning bolt I can make

 

Craig: oh

Craig: I'll kill them myself

 

Jewel: I can't see them; are they even here?

 

Zach frowned as he flicked through the PDF pages, trying to find Grant's senior quote and 'most likely' award. Stopping when he saw Grant's photo, his mouth dropped open when he read the award Lisa and Ben had given him: _most likely to seduce a teenager_.

 

It didn't even make sense; Grant was still a teenager, and besides, Gwen had dated Will when she was a senior and he was a freshman last year. No one had said or done anything about _that_ four-year age difference, which was larger than Craig and Grant's two and a half years.

 

"Grant," Coach Boomer called, Grant ascending the stage to accept his certificate and yearbook, shaking Principal Powers' hand before turning to face the crowd.

 

"I will be attending the University of Maxville, doing a double major in Law and Science," Grant announced, the crowd clapping in response.

 

Continuing across the stage, Grant returned to his seat, dumping the yearbook on the floor.

 

Donny: Lisa & Ben are here; they've been seated with the citizens as part of their punishment

 

Wendy: shit. My aim's improved, but I'd probably get the citizens if I tried to hit them

 

Zach: that's a shitty punishment

 

Donny: I said part of their punishment; the other part is attending summer school with a focus on communications and anti-bullying workshops

 

Zach: still a shitty punishment

 

Jewel: don't worry, I've got an idea :)

 

Coach Boomer called out the next few students to accept their certificate and yearbook, and announce their plans: Hector (university); Ignatius (Hero); Igor (work); Jakub (Hero Support for Ignatius); Jennifer had to make up for Mad Science over summer school, so only left the stage with her yearbook; Jesus (gap year); Jewel.

 

Jewel smiled at the applause from the crowd, shook Principal Powers' hand, accepted her yearbook and certificate with a smile, making sure her parents took their photos. When that was done, Jewel stepped forward. "I will be working in the super community as Gemstone," she announced, turning around to de-robe and reveal her super suit.

 

Her super suit was white, skin-tight, and had diamond pieces cut out at her joints to allow for better arm and leg movement. A few more decorative diamond shapes were cut as well, accentuating her curves and diamond-like skin, and probably revealing enough to distract both heroes and villains.

 

Completing the outfit were a pair of white gloves, the material thick enough to stop her power from turning anyone or anything to a jewel by accident. To bypass the need for Jewel to take the gloves off every time she wanted to use her power, the gloves were sewn with thread that she'd turned to stone so she could remove the gloves whenever needed.

 

Zach: I helped design that! :)

 

Craig: I love you, dude

 

"I'd like to read my senior quote, if that's all right?" Jewel added, already opening the yearbook without waiting for Principal Powers' response.

 

Principal Powers smile thinned, but she didn't say anything. Not in front of a crowd this large, not in front of current and possibly future students. Even though they were now running ten minutes behind thanks to Mr. Boy's tearful clapping for _every single_ sidekick.

 

"Diamonds are... Oh," Jewel stopped abruptly, her eyes widening.

 

Mindful of the cameras, Principal Powers only frowned a slight amount as she stepped forward. "Is everything all right, Jewel?"

 

"I just... I thought it had stopped," Jewel said, her lip trembling and her eyes filling with tears.

 

Frowning deeply now, Principal Powers took the offered yearbook and read the innocent quote. Then the award caught her eye and she looked up the page to see Grant's award, paling. "I apologise for this, Jewel. Please, be seated," she said, indicating to the stairs off the stage.

 

Jewel nodded, still looking upset, but returned to her seat. The rest of the seniors looked confused, while the ones who had already graduated started to flip through their yearbooks. Coach Boomer looked from Principal Powers to the next senior, wondering whether to call them forward or not.

 

Donny: nice performance.

 

Jewel: thanks; she obviously missed the part where I was in the Drama Club.

 

Principal Powers turned her attention to the crowd. "I apologise for the delay. It seems that there is a printing issue with the yearbook. Could the seniors who already have their book please pass it to the front? New ones will be printed and sent to all students. At no extra cost," she added, though those four words were difficult to utter.

 

The seniors with yearbooks had seen the awards and messages written on pages, and passed their books forward without protest, while those still waiting simply looked confused.

 

"Thank you for your understanding. Sonic Boom, please continue," Principal Powers said, setting Jewel's yearbook on her podium before returning to her place on the stage and smiling once more, nodding for Coach Boomer to continue calling the senior graduates.

 

Donny: Lisa and Ben are both freaking out & trying to find the last yearbook document

 

Adam: I'm gonna ruin their cell data and wifi connections; let 'em sweat

 

The rest of the graduation went by without incident, the crowd applauding as the seniors threw their caps into the air.

 

"Congratulations to all graduating students!" Principal Powers called.

 

She picked up Jewel's yearbook, turned into a comet and flew between the aisle separating the students and guests, stopping at the end of a row and calling a student's name. Principal Powers did the same thing three more times, the students somewhere between confused and worried. She smiled at the guests even as she led the students out, stopping to collect Lisa and Ben along the way.

 

Zach: what's going on?

 

Donny: she's going to find out what happened with the yearbook

Donny: Ben and Lisa might be expelled

 

Zach: yeah right, Powers wouldn't expel anyone

 

Warren: is she gone yet? I'm setting the yearbooks on fire before anyone tries to grab one

 

Adam: you're safe, she's not in the gym anymore

 

Warren didn't reply, but at the front of the stage, the three boxes of yearbooks started to smoke. A few people - both citizens and supers alike - screamed in surprise when the boxes burst completely into flames.

 

"Hey! Cool it, hothead!" Coach Boomer demanded as he walked over.

 

"It wasn't me," Warren deadpanned.

 

The bright flames disappeared a moment later, but the boxes and the yearbooks had all been destroyed, and there was nothing left but ash.

 

Coach Boomer sighed; school was over so he couldn't give Warren detention, and by the expression he'd seen on Principal Powers' face, he was positive that she would have done the same thing if she could. "Go, before I think of a punishment."

 

"Yes, Coach," Warren said, heading over to where his friends had gathered.

 

Layla smiled and took his hand, her skin hot against his.

 

"Well, after that, I don't think I'm up for prom," Grant muttered.

 

"The charity gala's on the same day; I'd prefer that myself," Jewel said, kissing his cheek.

 

"You didn't ask me to prom," Layla said to Warren, grinning when he rolled his eyes.

 

"After last year's Homecoming disaster, I didn't want to go. Besides, the charity gala's on, like Jewel said," he replied, shrugging.

 

"Don't worry, I'm not upset. But I _will_ be inviting you to my prom. I want a hot date," she said, laughing when Warren groaned against her shoulder.

 

"Come on, kids. We need a million and one photos, _then_ you can stand around gossiping," Nina called, waving them all over.

 

"Speaking of gossip, I've created an app to access all of the microphones. I've already downloaded it to your phones for you. Just remember to use headphones," Adam added.

 

"I need to buy a new pair," Layla admitted.

 

"What happened to them?"

 

"Burst into flames," she replied.

 

"It wasn't me," Warren said when their friends looked to him.

 

"All right, Grant. Just a photo with you and your certificate first," Peggy, his mother called.

 

"Jewel, I'll get a few of you while Grant's getting his taken," Morgan, her father said.

 

"Why do we need photos? We're not graduating," Zach said.

 

"You look nice, and I don't have any nice photos of you and Heidi yet," Anita said.

 

"We took photos at Heidi's birthday party," Zach said.

 

"You were pulling faces in every photo. I checked," Richard said.

 

Zach sighed and pulled Heidi over, draping himself over her shoulders. "How's this?" he asked, smiling brightly.

 

"Better than photo forty-two," Richard said, shrugging and taking a photo.

 

While everyone was getting their photos taken, Adam slipped his earbuds in and listened to Principal Powers reprimand the yearbook committee.

 

"... complete waste of the school's resources and time! There are _four_ of you, and not _one of you_ thought to actually **read** the document before sending it to be published?!"

 

"We... we thought it was the final document."

 

"So you've said. And I don't even want to know **why** the only two students who were fired from the yearbook committee were the only ones who actually worked on the yearbook! What on earth were the rest of you doing?!"

 

There was a moment of confused silence.

 

"Do you, uh, actually want an answer?" one student asked timidly.

 

"You said you _don't_ want to know, then asked the question," another added, confused.

 

Principal Powers made an undignified sound that could have translated to 'must not throttle students', the sound wheezing off as she forced herself to concentrate on her breathing. "None of you are allowed on future yearbook committees. _Any committees_ , in fact! Now leave, and return to the graduation," she snapped.

 

There was a rush of sound as the students hurried to leave.

 

"Ben, Lisa, come in."

 

"We didn't know they'd used that file, Principal Powers. It wasn't meant for anyone else besides us!" Lisa said as soon as she was in the office.

 

Principal Powers sighed. "After talking with the rest of the yearbook committee, I believe you."

 

Ben and Lisa sighed in relief.

 

"However, that's not to say that what you did was wrong. This is distasteful, disrespectful, and _not_ what I want Sky High graduates to be known for."

 

"We... we won't do anything like that again, Principal Powers! Honest. We've learnt our lesson. Haven't we, Ben?" Lisa asked.

 

"Yes. Yes, definitely. Won't say - or write - a thing about them. Or anyone else," Ben added.

 

Sighing again, Principal Powers flipped through the yearbook. "Unfortunately, I can't bring myself to believe either of you about this. Some of these accusations - and don't say that they're a joke, because we all know that _this_ isn't funny - are destructive. At this point, I'm not even sure if the summer school will help."

 

"It will!" Lisa protested.

 

"Adam? Are you going to join in the photo?" Frieda asked, smiling at him.

 

"It's the first time Warren's agreed to a photo in years," Nina said with a laugh. "I mean, he's sort of trapped in the middle of everyone, but it still counts!"

 

Adam looked over to where his friends were, grinning when he saw that Warren was caught in the middle of the large group. "Yeah, I'll get in on that," he said, jogging over to them.

 

"Take your hand off my ass or I will roast you in the next three seconds," Warren snapped.

 

"Sorry."

 

"My bad."

 

"Oops."

 

"How many hands were on your ass?" Layla asked with a laugh.

 

"Smile!" Nina called, taking several photos in quick succession since she didn't know how long it would be before Warren agreed to a photo opportunity again.

 

"Don't worry, dear; I've been taking photos for the past three minutes," Frieda said, patting her hand.

 

"Super Jesus. Principal Powers expelled them," Adam hissed.

 

"What?!"

 

"What's going on?" Heidi asked in confusion.

 

With all of the children looking at Adam for some reason, the photo opportunity was obviously over. Nina and Frieda compared their photos with Anita and Richard, while Victor rocked the twins in their stroller, looking at their phones to see the photos as well. Morgan and Ruby, Jewel's parents, compared their photos as well, swapping numbers so they could send the photos to each other. Grant's mother, Peggy, grabbled through her handbag before finding what she was looking for. Smiling at her son, Peggy handed the notebook and a pen over to him.

 

Grant frowned at the notebook. "What's it for?"

 

"For you to get your farewell messages. You don't have a yearbook anymore, so this will be nice. You could stick them into the new yearbook when it arrives," Peggy suggested.

 

"Oh, that's a good idea. Thanks, Mum," Grant said, hugging her briefly before heading to his classmates and handing the pen and notebook over. "Autographs only, people. I don't want any fake 'have a great summer' messages," he called out, the seniors laughing as they signed the notebook.

 

"They're really expelled?" Warren asked incredulously.

 

"I didn't think Principal Powers would expel _anyone_ ," Layla admitted, knowing just how much money Sky High would be losing with their two tuitions.

 

"Bullying's bad for business," Ethan pointed out. "Besides, we have siblings - or nephews - and they don't. There's a higher chance of us sending our family to Sky High if we're assured that they won't be bullied."

 

"Heidi's application is already in and if Principal Powers saw the news program with Craig and Cara, she'd know that his nephews can both shift," Zach added, grinning when Ethan kissed his cheek.

 

"Lisa and Ben's parents have been called in; Lisa's being sent to a boarding school, while Ben's parents are discussing moving overseas. It's the only way he'll be able to gain work as a super thanks to the List," Adam said.

 

"Tell me what's going on," Heidi hissed, tugging on Zach's sleeve.

 

Zach glanced around and signed a brief explanation of the things that Ben and Lisa had written in the yearbook.

 

Heidi clenched her jaw and looked around the gym. "Where?" she snapped fiercely.

 

"They're coming back with their parents shortly," Adam replied, signing the words for her.

 

Heidi smiled and turned her attention to the gym entrance.

 

"Just remember to level out the shock. Try level two first," Adam said.

 

Heidi muttered under her breath, but nodded.

 

Zach frowned at them. "What are you talking about?"

 

Adam grinned. "Remember that game I made for Heidi's phone? It's a way for her to practice her powers without killing people. Well, not accidentally, at least."

 

"That's why you were asking all those questions about the brain," Ethan said. "Could I see the app, Heidi?" he asked, signing to her.

 

Heidi nodded and handed her phone over.

 

The app that Adam had designed had different levels to test Heidi's control over electricity. The lower levels of the game were tests using the string fairy lights with different light intensity, different colours, and combinations of the two. The harder levels had an image of a brain with the different functions labelled. Heidi's task was to redirect enough power through the phone to make the appropriate function light up. The phone had a different sort of electricity than people, obviously, but it allowed Heidi to get used to the varied areas of the brain to cause pain, pleasure, or affect a person's senses or glands. Her latest game was set to the pituitary gland, which she'd tried three times and still couldn't light up individually due to the tiny size.

 

"This is a really great idea, Adam," Ethan said, handing the phone back to Heidi.

 

"Thanks. Heids has suggested some improvements, so I'm working on version two," Adam said.

 

Heidi smiled brightly and thanked him in ASL. Her smile faded and her expression grew stern as she looked over to the entrance where Ben and Lisa were returning with their parents and Principal Powers. Lisa's eyes were red and puffy, while Ben was pale and looking queasy.

 

"Make 'em hurt, lil sis," Adam murmured, looking over to where his best friend was hugging Grant firmly, Jewel looking murderous even as she tried to provide comfort to both of them.

 

Heidi concentrated on Ben and Lisa, her lips moving silently as she worked her power across the distance, affecting the electrical pulses in their bodies in two different ways. In a matter of seconds, Lisa started sobbing loudly and Ben was retching on the gym floor. Their actions drew the attention of most present, Nurse Spex hurrying over to guide them outside again while Mr. Boy organised a janitor to clean the mess.

 

Zach moved to stand in front of his sister to keep her out of sight. Anita looked over anyway, raising an eyebrow at them. Heidi shrugged, not innocent, but not caring if she was caught. _They deserved more than this_. Anita couldn't reprimand her, not after knowing what had been published about the children, and not after seeing what had been written in the yearbook. Adam had sent a copy to Frieda at her insistence, who had then sent it to the rest of the adults.

 

"Mr. Damsale, a word, if you don't mind?" Principal Powers asked.

 

"Of course, Principal Powers," Ethan replied, following her to the side.

 

"I understand that this is very last minute and you may have plans over summer, but I was wondering if you would agree to fix the yearbook? There were some childish and unpleasant remarks made against certain people within the school. Obviously, you understand that I cannot allow the seniors to have something so degrading as a memento of their time here. The photos and various student additions to the yearbook are fine, it's just the awards that need to be fixed."

 

"I was planning on working over summer, Principal Powers. I'll have to discuss it with my employer, if you don't mind?" Ethan asked, fixing his glasses.

 

"Oh. Of course. I'll give you some privacy to make your call," she said, stepping back.

 

"That won't be necessary, Principal Powers," Ethan said, waving Honey over to them.

 

"Is everything all right, Ethan?" Honey asked curiously, looking between him and Principal Powers.

 

"Principal Powers has requested my assistance to finalise the yearbook over the summer break, but I'm starting my paid internship with _Labyrinth_ next week. Both are a lot of responsibility, and I would hate to start either job without giving it my all."

 

"Oh, that's completely understandable. I'm sure Sarah wouldn't mind if you brought the yearbook along and we worked on it together. We could have a look at the layout and might even be able to make some improvements. If that's all right with you, of course, Principal Powers?" Honey added.

 

Thinking about it for a moment - the cost of reprinting _and_ posting the yearbooks would already be sky high - Principal Powers nodded. "That would be fine. I am trusting you with this, Ethan. Don't disappoint me."

 

"Of course. Thank you, Principal Powers."

 

"Go on, Ethan. I'll discuss the bill with Principal Powers," Honey said, smiling as Ethan headed back to his friends.

 

"Bill?" Principal Powers echoed, surprised.

 

"Of course. You might get free labour from your students, but _Labyrinth_ is a business. As Sarah's on holiday, I've been given the ability to negotiate on her behalf," Honey replied, grinning outright now.

 

 _Shit_.

 

...

 

Principal Powers took the stage almost fifteen minutes later, not as shellshocked as she'd expected. The price was steep, but it was still cheaper than starting from scratch with an editing company. A percentage of the payment she'd agreed to would go to Ethan as he would be attributed as the main editor of the yearbook, so Principal Powers could add it as part of Sky High's tax.

 

Looking out over the crowd who were eating finger sandwiches and drinking punch, and hopefully full and sated that they wouldn't trample each other with her next announcement.

 

"Good afternoon, everyone. As per Sky High's tradition, the exams have already been graded by super markers, and the students' final grades will now be released. Mr. Boy, if you will," Principal Powers said with a nod.

 

Mr. Boy smiled brightly and wheeled out a large board, the wheels smooth against the gym floor. With a flourish, he pulled off the coloured paper to reveal the final grades and students' positions in their groups. Ignoring any sense of lining up or going in groups, all of the students from freshmen to seniors rushed towards Mr. Boy and the board. Mr. Boy's eyes widened and he jumped up high to avoid being crushed by the mob. He swung along the rail until he could drop back down to the ground without crushing anyone.

 

As the students looked at their final scores, Principal Powers and Coach Boomer opened the box of printed report cards that were sitting behind the podium. With Mr. Boy's assistance, they went through the crowd of students and handed them their report cards. There were the usual expressions of relief, surprise, some grief and annoyance, but most were smiling and pleased with their final grades.

 

"Ha! I _knew_ I'd beat you! By a B-plus, too! Take that, Takahashi!"

 

Eric frowned at Zach's victorious crow, obviously confused. "Uh. Congratulations?"

 

Zach grinned. "Thanks. Oh, thanks, Mr. Boy. Did you see my final grades?" he added, taking his offered report card.

 

"Yes, I did. I'm very proud of you. I'm very proud of all of you for being the best hero support you could be," Mr. Boy said, his voice wavering as he tried not to cry.

 

"Thanks, Mr. Boy. You're a pretty good teacher, y'know?" Zach said, grinning. "Oh, hey, Eth! Look at this!" he called, heading over to his boyfriend.

 

Mr. Boy pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his tears. It was one of the few times one of his students had said he was a good teacher.

 

"There you are, hippie. How'd you go?" Warren asked, snagging Layla by the waist.

 

She smiled up at him broadly. "Tied first with Adam; Craig came third after Larry. How did you go? Did Wendy knock you off the top spot?"

 

Warren grinned and shook his head. "She almost did. I got first, Wendy's second by three points. She even beat Donny. I think she's having a heart attack over it."

 

"Oh, there's Magenta. I'll be right back," Layla said, rising up to kiss his lips firmly.

 

Warren heard a camera click over the noise of the students, and pulled away from Layla to glare over at his mother. Nina grinned back at him and waved cheekily.

 

Layla laughed and headed over to Magenta, who was looking around for Will. She stopped looking when she saw Layla and smiled, waving her over.

 

"How did you go, Magenta?" Layla asked.

 

Magenta smiled even broader. "I went up three places! I got seventh out of the sidekicks."

 

"Wow, that's amazing! Congratulations," Layla said, hugging her.

 

"Thanks. How about you?"

 

"I managed to tie for first place."

 

"Whoa. Holy... Congrats, Layla. That's... _wow_ ," Magenta said, looking shellshocked.

 

"I've been studying my butt off, so I'm really happy about it," Layla admitted, smiling. Her smile fell. "Have you seen Will's score?"

 

Magenta shook her head. "I lost him in the crowd. Was it bad?" she asked anxiously.

 

"Well, he's gone up to tenth place. But that's only because Ben and Lisa's scores were blacked out," Layla added with a conspiratorial whisper. "You went up by three spots on your own merit, Magenta."

 

"I did? Yeah. I did," Magenta agreed, nodding.

 

"Oh, and by the way, I love your new hairdo," Layla said with a bright smile.

 

"Really?" she said, tugging at one of her highlighted locks of hair.

 

Mrs. Stronghold - Josie - had taken her out for another girls day out and Magenta had ended up in a hairdresser's chair, being told that she'd be a brand new woman by the end of the day. After the spa day at _Spa Retreat_ , Magenta was wary of those words. At the end of _that_ day, she'd ended up with hives and her _everything_ had been sore for a full week.

 

Still, she couldn't bring herself to argue with Jetstream, and Magenta had gone home without purple streaks in her hair, but rather highlights to help break up the black hair. (She thought that's what the purple had done.) As she'd dropped her off, Josie had said that her buns were _cute_. Magenta knew that she meant 'cute but not suitable for Airborne's hero support', so she'd started wearing it down or in a ponytail instead. Magenta looked in the mirror and saw a brand new woman, though she still wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that.

 

"Yeah! I mean, it kinda looks like a shorter version of Jetstream's hair, but it suits you. Oh, there's Warren, I'd better go see how he went. Text me and we'll catch up over the break, okay?" Layla said, hugging her once more before leaving.

 

"There you are, Maj! I got _tenth_ out of the whole class," Will said, grinning at her. "What was your final grade? Oh, did you get your report card yet?"

 

"I got seventh. Mr. Boy gave me my report card, but I haven't looked at it yet. It's sort of a family tradition to look at it together."

 

"Oh, I thought we could compare them now?" Will suggested.

 

"My parents are right there, Will. Why don't we compare them together with them?" Magenta suggested, offering him a smile.

 

"Well. Yeah. It wouldn't be _us_ then, would it? It'd be everyone."

 

Someone had brought party blowers and was blowing them loudly. Magenta grabbed Will's hand and tugged him along with her, pretending she hadn't heard him.

 

"There you are, _querida_. We lost you in that crowd," Mr. Yolanda said with a warm smile.

 

"I got my report card, Mama, Papa. Will, why don't you get your parents? I'll wait for you," Magenta added, kissing his cheek.

 

Somewhat mollified, Will nodded and flew upwards, looking around for his parents. Most of the gym saw him flying up into the air, but he ignored the surprised gasps from the citizen parents. Josie flew herself and Steve up to where Will was, landing down beside the Yolandas.

 

"Magenta opens her report card with her parents. I thought you'd like to do the same," Will said to his parents.

 

"That sounds nice, Will," Josie said, brushing some hair back off his forehead. "Oh, where did you come in the student listing?" she added, looking over to the board, still surrounded by students.

 

"Tenth," Will said proudly.

 

"Top ten? That's my boy!" Steve said, crushing him in a hug.

 

"Ready, Will?" Magenta asked, smiling.

 

"Oh, right. Yeah," Will said, opening his report card to show his parents.

 

Magenta did the same, Mr. and Mrs. Yolanda reading the report and teachers' comments.

 

"We're very proud of you, _querida_."

 

Josie pursed her lips at the grades and comments Will had received. Neither the grades nor the comments were great, certainly _not_ what was expected of one of the great Stronghold Three. Still, she couldn't reprimand Will in front of everyone. If they couldn't be the greatest family of superheroes the world has ever seen, then they would be the greatest _family_ the world has ever seen. That meant maintaining a certain image and keeping everything unpleasant behind closed doors.

 

Josie was all-too-suddenly reminded of Mr. and Mrs. Brighton; they'd known Zach and his parents since primary school, but she and Steve hadn't known a thing of what went on behind closed doors. The comparison made her feel somewhat nauseous, but she forced the feeling away and turned her attention to her son instead.

 

"I'm very proud, Will."

 

"You are?" Will said in surprise, blinking. His expression faded to a grin. "So... does that mean I can take Magenta out to celebrate?"

 

"For our top ten son, of course!" Steve said, even though Josie desperately wanted to take Will home to discuss his grades in private.

 

"Great, thanks!" Will said, turning to Magenta and grinning at her. "Wanna go celebrate?"

 

"Uh... Yeah. Do you mind?" Magenta asked her parents, hoping they wouldn't be too upset about changing their usual end of school year celebrations.

 

"You go enjoy yourself," Mrs. Yolanda said, patting her hand.

 

"Back _before_ eleven this time, _querida_ ," Mr. Yolanda added, Magenta and Will both blushing.

 

Will held Magenta around the waist and flew her up into the air and out of the gym.

 

"That's so sweet, I wanna hurl," Zach said, groaning at Ethan.

 

Ethan rolled his eyes and kept walking around the gym. "I can't believe that Lisa and Ben being expelled changed the sophomore Heroes grades."

 

"Oh, yeah. Those lucky kids got bumped up two spots! Wish we could've," Zach said.

 

"You made second place, Zach," Ethan pointed out, adjusting his glasses to hide his grin.

 

Josie Stronghold had _definitely_ heard their words and was looking over to the board curiously.

 

They continued back towards their friends, holding hands to avoid losing each other in the crowd.

 

"That's not the point, Eth. I could've topped the first spot," Zach replied.

 

"If you want to top, just ask," Ethan said, laughing when Zach blushed brightly.

 

"I hate you both," Adam said, glaring at them.

 

Josie looked to Magenta's parents. "Excuse me a moment, would you?" she said with a bright smile, flying up into the air before they could respond.

 

Josie tried to find a spot at the board as the children returned to their parents with their report cards in hand. There was finally enough space for her to squeeze in and Josie landed, looking at the sophomore student listing.

 

Will was twelfth out of fifteen students, not _tenth_ as he'd so proudly stated.

 

In the background, Josie heard the Levinsky's berating Larry for losing his top position and his drop in grades. The Levinsky's threatened Larry with a tutor over summer and demanded he leave his girlfriend so he could focus on what _really_ mattered.

 

Josie knew she couldn't get Will to dump Magenta, as he'd probably spend all of summer sulking as a result, but a tutor was doable. Not to mention private and discreet, if paid the right price. No one could know that the Stronghold's son needed a tutor. No, that was too much like _failure_ and failure was unacceptable for the world's greatest family of superheroes.

 

"Congratulations on your grades, Warren. I'm so proud of you," Nina said, kissing him with a loud smack on his cheek.

 

"Really, Mum?"

 

"Yes. I get to embarrass you a little longer. Just think, next year you'll be a senior and you'll be the one graduating. Oh, I feel old."

 

Warren shook his head. "C'mon, Mum. Let's get out of here before you need a walking frame."

 

"You're coming home with me? I thought you'd go out with Layla," Nina admitted.

 

"Layla asked, but tonight's still _our_ tradition of too much pizza and a marathon of bad B-list movies, so we made plans for the weekend instead. Did you make other plans for tonight?" Warren asked.

 

"Oh, no. I just thought it was going to be me, a bottle of wine, and _Sleepless in Seattle_."

 

"I'll never understand why you like movies that make you cry. Besides, it's stupid that they kept missing each other when she could teleport," he said, rolling his eyes.

 

"Crying's cathartic and, besides, it's healthy to cry every now and then. She didn't have control over her power; do you really want to have this argument again, kid? Because I will argue about it for hours if necessary."

 

"Yeah, I know you will," Warren said, grinning.

 

Nina laughed and kissed his cheek. "All right, say goodbye to your friends while I say goodbye to mine, and we'll order the pizza on the way home. How's that sound?"

 

"Pretty good. Thanks, Mum," Warren said, kissing her cheek before heading through the crowd to his friends.

 

Nina smiled and looked at Warren's report card as she headed to her friends.

 

Term 1 comments: _Quiet in class, could contribute more. Very smart and it shows in his work._

 

End of year comments: _Warren's work has only improved over this term. He's a wonderful student, and it's been lovely to see him interacting with his classmates more this term. It's taken some time, but I'm glad to see Warren has made friends here at Sky High_.

 

Nina couldn't agree more.

 

...

 

End of the seventieth chapter.


	71. Chapter 71

"We've got the barbecue and two birthday celebrations tomorrow. It's gonna be huge, dude!" Craig said, grinning at Adam.

 

"Yeah. You sure you don't mind me staying over?"

 

Craig snorted. "'Course not, dude. Since when do I _mind_ having my best friend stay over?"

 

Adam shrugged. "You haven't had a girlfriend or boyfriend before."

 

"Yeah, but we're not, like, attached at the hips. Okay, just give me a second to appreciate that mental image," Craig added, sighing wistfully.

 

"It's been three seconds. Can you stop now?"

 

Craig opened his eyes, laughing. "C'mon, dude, I'm just messing with you. I'm seriously happy you're here. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

 

"It's been three days, dude."

 

"Yeah, like I said: _forever_. Now, we'll get to the tour later. For now, the best part of the house is my room," Craig said, leading Adam through Edith's home to his new room.

 

"Why's it the best room?" Adam asked, seeing a large entertainment system in the lounge room as they passed by.

 

Craig grinned over his shoulder and stopped in front of a door, waiting until Adam was beside him to open it. "'Cause you get your own bed _and_ there's unlimited wifi."

 

"What's the wifi password?"

 

Craig laughed. "At least _look_ at the room first, dude. I picked out your quilt cover myself."

 

Adam looked around the room: Craig had a queen-size bed, there was a door with an ensuite bathroom beyond it, clothes behind another door, a computer desk and chair, and finally Adam's own double bed.

 

"Is that... Super Jesus, I hate you right now," Adam said, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, the quilt cover was _still_ there. "Really, Craig? The Commander and Jetstream official quilt cover?"

 

Craig burst out laughing, doubled over until he was red in the face and wheezing. "Oh, man. This is killing me. Don't worry, I'm totally kidding. The real quilt cover's here," he said, heading over to his desk where a quilt cover was still in its packaging. "Better?" Craig asked with a grin.

 

Adam breathed a sigh of relief at the chequered yellow and black quilt cover. "Better. Now, are you gonna return that thing or are we gonna do some damage?"

 

Craig grinned and shifted to Warren's form. "Let's do some damage."

 

...

 

"I think we're going to need a bigger park for the next barbecue," Curtis said, grinning when he saw how full the park was.

 

"Well, if you finish designing the house with the _greatest entertaining space_ _the world has ever seen_ , we wouldn't need a park," Ida teased, smiling at her husband.

 

"I'm still trying to get the deck right. It needs to have cover without making the rest of the house too dark. Pat's getting the wood, but if it's going to be an open deck, then it needs to be able to withstand Maxville's weather," Curtis said as they headed down to the barbecue area.

 

"I know. You've been talking in your sleep again," Ida said, kissing his cheek.

 

"Ma, Da, you made it!" Adam called, waving and jogging over. "I thought you had to work?"

 

"Surprise!" Ida said, smiling broadly at her son. "Since we paid off the car last week, I swapped my shift with Dr. Grey."

 

"Pat had a variety of things to say when I said I was trying to finish the Riveras' home in time to get to your party. Mostly that I was... uh, ridiculous. Heidi, right?" Curtis said, smiling at the young blonde girl who was trying to get Adam's attention.

 

"Oh, hey, Heids. You remember my folks, right?" Adam asked, signing along with his words.

 

Heidi nodded, smiled, and waved shyly at them. Then she turned to Adam, looking annoyed, and signed really quickly.

 

"Ah, shit. Really? Uh, I've gotta go stop Craig and Zach from hurting themselves," Adam said. "Thanks for surprising me. Love you," he called, hurrying after Heidi.

 

"What just happened?" Ida asked her husband, looking after their son who was heading over to the playground and yelling at Craig and Zach on the swings.

 

"No idea. Oh, there's Richard. Did you see the new train model release?" Curtis asked, waving to him.

 

Ida watched as Curtis headed over to Richard, both of them talking about the newest train model excitedly. Over at the playground, Craig and Zach had seemingly listened to Adam and were no longer trying to get the swings to go around the bar. Ida just hoped they wouldn't attempt it again; she'd prefer not to work on her day off.

 

"Hi Honey. Where are Sarah and Jared?" Layla asked, seeing all three dogs in the dog park.

 

"Still on holiday. I'm dog-sitting," Honey replied.

 

"When are they back?" Warren asked.

 

"The seventh."

 

"That's today," he said, frowning.

 

"What? No, it's..." Honey said, looking at her phone. Her eyes widened. "Oh, shit. Sarah's going to be pissed. Look after the dogs! And don't eat the cake without me!" she called over her shoulder, holding onto her hat as she ran up to the parking lot, swearing the rest of the way.

 

"What's wrong with Honey?" Wendy asked curiously.

 

"Sarah and Jared's flight gets in today. She's meant to be picking them up," Layla said, trying not to look too amused as Honey reversed her car and drove away with a squeal of tyres. "I hope she's not too late."

 

"She's a seer; how does she _forget_ something?" Wendy asked.

 

"Focusing too much on a different future, maybe? Or just forgetful?" Layla suggested with a shrug.

 

"Hmm, still seems weird."

 

"Hey, Heidi? Want to look after a dog? Or three?" Warren asked, signing to her.

 

Heidi lit up, smiling and nodding eagerly.

 

"Dude, you just said you'd get her three dogs," Zach said, snorting. "Heids, ignore him. Want to look after Honey, Sarah, and Jared's dogs?" he asked, signing.

 

Heidi's expression fell slightly, but she still nodded.

 

"What part was wrong?" Warren asked, frowning down at his hands as he signed again.

 

"That bit. You need to sign it like this," Zach said. " _Want look dog?_ If you forget 'look', you just say 'want dog' which is a definite yes from Heidi," he added, grinning. "Ah, Heids, get out of the dog park!" Zach called, waving to get his sister's attention.

 

"I don't think Heidi turned her hearing aids back on after the car ride here," Ethan said.

 

"I've heard Zach's singing; I completely sympathise," Adam said, smirking.

 

"Ah, shit. Hopefully she tires herself out soon. If you step in poop, you're cleaning your own shoes!" Zach called out.

 

"Dude, Eth just said she can't hear you," Adam said.

 

"I know, but the warning still stands," he replied. "And what's this about my singing? I'm an amazing singer, you should be honoured you've heard these golden pipes," Zach added.

 

"I'm surprised the car still has glass in the windows," Craig said, grinning.

 

Warren tugged on Layla's hand, guiding her away from the others as they argued about Zach's singing. Curious, Layla let Warren lead her away, wondering what was going on. He finally stopped by a tree surrounded by fallen blossoms from spring, the trunk thick enough to block them from sight of most of the park-goers.

 

"I just wanted you to myself," Warren explained when he felt Layla's curiosity on his wrist.

 

"Oh, really?" Layla said with a smile, threading their fingers together.

 

"Really," Warren murmured as he tugged her closer and kissed her firmly.

 

Layla smiled against his lips, backing him up against the tree trunk, their fingers still entwined on one side as she curled her nails against his shoulder with her free hand. Warren squeezed her hand in his grip, wrapping his free arm around her waist and tugging her against his body sharply. He swallowed her gasp, his leg pressed firmly between hers. Layla nipped at Warren's lips, biting his tongue as he licked into her mouth, rewarded with twirling pleasure around her wrist. Warren felt Layla's own pleasure and satisfaction on his wrist, and he slipped a hand under her shirt to stroke against her ribs with burning hot fingertips.

 

"Ooh, look, Grant. We get lunch _and_ a show," Jewel snickered.

 

Warren and Layla pulled apart, Layla turning in Warren's arms to lean back against his chest and glare at Jewel and Grant.

 

"Oh, don't give us that look. The whole park probably knows you're here making out," Grant said, indicating up to the tree that was in bloom.

 

"Oops," Layla said, slowing drawing her and Warren's power away from the tree and watching as the flowers floated down to the grass.

 

Jewel started laughing suddenly, drawing the others' attention and curiosity. "You just gave the tree an orgasm," she said between gasping laughs.

 

"Okay, I arrived at the wrong part of this conversation. Or the right part," Craig said, grinning. "But seriously, what?"

 

"We caught these two making out," Grant said, grinning when he saw comprehension dawning on Craig's face.

 

"Oh, yeah, we all figured they were doing _something_ since the tree went crazy. Don't worry, Donny got the citizens," Craig said. "Though Frieda, Anita, and Nina are probably going to tease you for the rest of the afternoon."

 

"Great," Warren muttered, running a hand through his hair. "C'mon, hippie. Let's steal a car and get out of here," he said, taking her hand and heading over to the parking lot, Layla laughing brightly and waving goodbye to the others.

 

"Don't go near my car, Peace!" Jewel called after them, then smiled brightly and tugged Craig close to kiss him thoroughly. "Hi, babe."

 

Craig grinned dopily. "Hi."

 

"Jewel's been driving me insane, babe," Grant admitted.

 

"Why?" Craig asked, licking his lips.

 

Grant pressed a thumb to the dip in Craig's chin, kissing him deeply. "Three reasons. One: you, me, and her in a sex shop; two: you, me, and her going shopping for clothes for the gala; and three: you and me in suits."

 

"Three-piece suits. With the shirt sleeves rolled up and vests and fitted pants. You both have amazing asses," Jewel said, giving them both an appreciative once over and biting her lip.

 

"I told you I have a great ass," Grant said, grinning.

 

"Yeah, you do," Craig murmured, his hands slipping down to curve over Grant's ass.

 

Grant's eyes darkened at the touch, both innocent and bold. He kissed Craig once more before pulling away. "We agreed to nothing below the belt, babe. I can't be strong enough for all of us."

 

"You're not wearing a belt?" Craig said weakly.

 

"I love the loophole, Craig, but Grant's right. We'll never make it another year otherwise," Jewel said with a sigh.

 

"I'm sorry. Are you... are you _really_ sure you want to wait? You two can, y'know, have sex without me," Craig said.

 

"We want to wait, babe," Grant said.

 

"That being said, the sex shop had better have a large supply of vibrators and dildos," Jewel muttered.

 

Craig's cheeks turned red at the thought. "Um. Does... Does watching count as sex?" he asked, his voice pitching.

 

"Now that's a loophole I can get behind," Grant said, grinning. "We'd have to do it over video, though. I won't have that kind of willpower if Jewel's _right there_."

 

"We know that from experience," Jewel added, winking at Craig.

 

Craig opened and closed his mouth several times, his blush spreading.

 

"Fuck, you're so gorgeous. C'mon, before we make the tree orgasm again," Jewel murmured, kissing his blush-warm cheek and taking Craig's hand to lead him down to the park.

 

Grant picked up Jewel's bag and followed after them, definitely _not_ ogling Craig's ass and trying to imagine what he'd look like in a tight-fitting three-piece suit.

 

Warren and Layla were at the picnic tables talking with Robin and Terry as the newcomers parents were getting acquainted with the rest of the parents and guardians. Justina's parents had sent her to summer camp, and Justina had already written to Robin saying how she hated the food and even the animals wouldn't talk to her.

 

"Sorry, we're late! _Someone_ forgot to pick us up at the airport _and_ almost forgot to pick up Babs too," Sarah said, glowering at Honey.

 

"I've had a lot on my mind today, I'm sorry."

 

"Do you know how many security guards side-eye you when you're in the airport for thirty minutes after disembarking? It's a lot, Honey."

 

"They wouldn't have done anything for another ten minutes," Honey replied.

 

"There had better be cake," Sarah muttered.

 

"There is; we haven't started yet," Nina said, smiling. "Now, how was your holiday? You look relaxed, for the most part," she added with a laugh.

 

"Thanks. It was nice not to think about work, the pool was something I already miss, and the massages were _amazing_. I could do with one right now," she admitted with a grin.

 

"We're going to the _Lotus Day Spa_ next weekend; why don't you join us? They offer a couples massage," Frieda offered.

 

Sarah laughed and shook her head. "Jared doesn't like getting massages; he's too ticklish. But, I'll be there with bells on. What time and day?"

 

"I'll send you the details now, dear," Frieda said, smiling as she sent a text to Sarah's number.

 

"Great, thanks. Now, where are our babies?" Sarah asked, looking around for Toby and Snowball.

 

"They're in the dog park; Heidi's looking after them," Ethan called. "Hi, Babs," he said with a broad smile, waving to her as she arrived with Jared.

 

"It's lovely to see you again, Ethan. How is your Spanish coming?" Babel asked.

 

"¿Bien. Cómo estas?" Ethan asked. (Good. How are you?)

 

"Muy bien! You almost sound like a native speaker," Babel said. (Very good.)

 

"Really?" Ethan asked, straightening up at the praise.

 

"You'd fool any other super or citizen," she replied warmly.

 

"Mum, you might want to sit down," Honey said, blocking her view of Babel before she could look to her.

 

"Oh? What's wrong?" Frieda asked, sitting down.

 

"Just give it a moment," Honey murmured, sitting beside her and taking her hand.

 

"Frieda, Honey, this is my mother, Babs," Jared introduced.

 

On seeing Babel for herself, Frieda's eyes widened, her face paled rapidly, and if she'd been standing, she would have fallen over. Her knees felt weak even though she was sitting, and Frieda clutched her daughter's hand tightly as she tried to overcome the secrets she was seeing. Confused, Babel looked between them and her son.

 

"Frieda's... lucky," Jared said, wincing when he realised that that didn't explain much.

 

Babel could read between the lines better than most, so she simply nodded and waited.

 

Frieda came back to herself with a cough, her hands and body trembling. "I... I apologise. I'm not feeling well."

 

"Of course, dear," Babel said, not pointing out the lie. "Should I come back later?"

 

"No, no. I just need a moment," Frieda said with a smile. "Thank you," she said, stressing the two words so much that no one could mistake them as gratitude for something else entirely.

 

Babel raised an eyebrow slightly. "You're welcome, dear. Do I dare ask what I'm being thanked for?" she asked, amused.

 

"No, no. No need for nightmares," Frieda murmured.

 

Babel's amused expression fell as she took in Frieda's haunted expression; she knew it well from her own reflection. "Oh, my dear. I am so sorry. If I'd known you were... lucky, I would have taken the necessary precautions."

 

Frieda shook her head. "It's all right, dear. They never work anyway."

 

Elliot and Elijah chose this moment to make their presence known, screaming at the top of their tiny lungs. Victor scooped up the thrown toy, wiggling it a little and cooing, the twins' wailing only getting louder. Craig jogged over to them, picking Elliot up and making babbling noises to calm his nephew. Taking his cue from Craig, Victor did the same with Elijah, looking thankful when their cries both settled down.

 

"Oh, they're simply adorable," Babel said, smiling and waving at the two babies.

 

"They are, aren't they? I can't wait until the gala; Edith's promised to find suits for them, they're going to be the cutest babies there."

 

"Jared and Sarah aren't giving me any grandbabies any time soon, and as much as I love them, the grand-puppies just aren't the same thing."

 

"Oh, why don't you come to the gala? There's going to be a whole group of us looking after those precious babies, and we can always use another person to gossip with," Frieda said with a laugh.

 

"That sounds brilliant, dear, thank you," Babel said, obviously surprised at the easy acceptance.

 

Frieda smiled and patted her hand. "Now, let's talk business: have you seen the ideas for Sarah and Jared's wedding yet?"

 

Babel's laugh had Jared backing away in fear. Honey's eyes widened and she followed after him quickly.

 

"The last time I heard my mother laugh like that, a Prince had offered her his hand in marriage," Jared hissed.

 

"I'm guessing she said no?" Honey asked curiously.

 

"No, she accepted, but then Babs gave him a detailed report on what she expected from her husband. He ran like the hounds of Hell were after him."

 

Honey laughed. "Oh, I like her already."

 

Jared grinned, his shoulders losing their tension. "That's rare for Babs; most people hate her on sight or by reputation."

 

"She's lovely, I don't see why," Honey said, frowning.

 

"Well, as Babs usually says: she has allies at work, not friends. When you can understand everything that everyone is saying, it means there's no capacity for secrets, and in a place like the UN, I'd dare say that the reps prefer to be able to keep secrets," Jared said, shrugging.

 

"Well, Babs will be welcomed warmly here, I promise," Honey said, kissing his cheek before passing him over to Sarah. "I'll let you know when it's safe. They'll start on their college years eventually."

 

"Oh, Jesus. Tell me the food will be ready soon?" Sarah asked.

 

"We're opening our birthday presents!" Craig called loudly, Adam beside him.

 

"Food will be ready after the presents," Honey promised Sarah, hugging her firmly.

 

"Snowball, here girl," Jared called with a whistle.

 

Snowball yapped excitedly and raced over to the fence, stopping short and jumping up eagerly. Toby was after her in a shot. Behind them, Ari was yapping and running circles around Heidi.

 

"Ari, _sit_ ," Heidi said, signing to the eager puppy.

 

Ari sat for a full second before running again. Proud of her achievement anyway, Heidi followed the puppy over to the fence when she realised that their owners had returned.

 

"Very good training, Heidi," Honey said.

 

Heidi frowned, realising that Honey had spoken but she hadn't heard her. Turning her hearing aid on, she replaced it and blinked at the noise that came at her. She was somewhat glad she had forgotten to turn it back on; this much noise for so long would have made her ear and head ache.

 

"Craig and Adam are opening their presents," Sarah said.

 

Heidi smiled brightly and clambered over the wire fence. Honey laughed and unlatched the gate, gathering Ari in her arms and clipping his leash on.

 

Craig waited until everyone had gathered around them to start tearing into his first present, using a burst of Speed's speed to open it in record time.

 

"You're picking up all that paper, Craig," Honey called to him.

 

Craig winced at the tiny bits of paper strewn around him. Beside him, Adam rolled his eyes and opened his own present in a calmer manner, setting the wrapping paper aside.

 

"Oh, nice motherboard. Who'd you get that from?" Craig asked.

 

"Terry. Who'd you get the bag of pens from?" Adam asked.

 

"Zach," he replied, snickering when he saw Lisa's name taped to one of the pens.

 

Adam opened his next present, his eyes widening when he saw the expensive noise-cancelling headphones his friends had bought for him. "Super Jesus. Thanks, guys. This is awesome!"

 

"What is it?" Ida called curiously from behind her phone's camera.

 

"Noise-cancelling headphones," he said, holding the box up with a bright smile.

 

Craig smiled at the sight of his best friend looking so happy over their gift and was glad that Warren had thought of it for him. He returned his attention to his next present, grinning at the bonsai that Layla had gifted him. Craig planned on shifting to Layla and Donny's forms to practise with their powers. In the back of his mind, he thought about the gift that Grant and Jewel were planning on giving to him tomorrow; apparently it wasn't appropriate for a public park and _that_ knowledge set his mind whirling with possibilities. Donny coughed loudly, and Craig forced himself to stop thinking about it and traumatising his friend.

 

 _A few minutes every hour was probably more than enough trauma_ , he thought with a grin.

 

"Is that... I think this is yours," Adam said, handing a box to Craig, his nose wrinkled.

 

"Who bought me _six_ boxes of condoms?" Craig asked incredulously.

 

"I just want to make sure you're being safe, dear," Anita called out.

 

Craig turned bright red. "I'm not even having sex!"

 

"You'll have an easier time at cleaning up after yourself, at the very least," Babel said, grinning.

 

"Public park, everyone," Honey called out, obviously trying not to laugh.

 

Beside her, Donny was laughing into the crook of his arm, hearing the scandalised thoughts of others in the park. At their table, Robin and Terry were both blushing brightly, not used to such open and blatant talk about sex.

 

"Um. Thank you." Craig set the box down and looked to his next present. "Ooh, thanks for the socks, Frieda!"

 

"Fingerless gloves, awesome. Thanks," Adam said, pulling them on and flexing his fingers.

 

"You're welcome, dears," Frieda said, smiling.

 

"Pa, what's this present?" Adam asked, frowning over at his father when he opened a framed picture of a drawing.

 

"Our future house," Curtis said proudly.

 

"What?"

 

"I designed it. AAA are building it, we've got a payment plan set up, and we bought a plot of land that's close to the hospital for your Ma and closer to your friends. Your room's double the size of your current one, and I made sure to include a separate Internet connection with more than enough outlets for all your gadgets. Honey... uh, also said to soundproof your room. I don't want to know why," Curtis added quickly.

 

"What your Pa means is you'll have your own sanctuary at home, and there's access via the garden so you can come and go as you please. We'll have access through the garage, so I won't wake you up anymore when I'm on odd shifts," Ida added.

 

"We... I..." Adam stumbled over his words, unsure what to say or do. "Really?"

 

"Really," she said, smiling at Adam's stunned expression. "We've worked it all out. Ethan helped with the budget, and we can afford repayments and groceries even on one wage."

 

"Super Jesus, that's _awesome_ , dude! Do I have a room in there, too, Mr. S?" Craig asked, grinning broadly.

 

"Yes. Also soundproofed," Curtis said, wincing.

 

Layla laughed, muffling the sound quickly against her palm. Behind her, Warren chuckled and wrapped his arms around her torso.

 

"I'm going to get your room soundproofed too, kid. Consider it a birthday present to myself," Nina muttered beside them.

 

Layla laughed again, forcing herself to calm down and continue watching the presents being unwrapped.

 

The next one was from Heidi: a light bulb in a clear container. She signed to them, and both Craig and Adam cupped their hands around the container, the light changing colour and reflecting on their hands. It would obviously work better in a darker room rather than outside on a summer's day, but they both thanked her for the thoughtful gift.

 

"Those would be good at the Hive," Honey murmured to Layla and Warren. "Heidi's emotional state changes the colours."

 

"To sell or for ourselves?" Warren asked.

 

"Both, but get later prototypes to sell; Heidi will have more control by then."

 

"Good to know. Thank you, Honey."

 

She smiled at them, all three turning their attention back to Craig and Adam, who were thanking Robin for their own mini terrariums.

 

After opening their presents, eating their food, and cutting and devouring the birthday cake Craig challenged his friends in a race to the playground. He laughed and ran ahead of them before they could respond. Robin and Terry ran after him, Heidi on their heels and overtaking fast. Grant tugged Jewel to her feet and jogged after them at a slower pace. Ethan and Zach wandered over, Zach eating a second slice of cake off a paper plate. Warren and Layla returned to their tree without an ounce of shame. Despite Craig's head start, Heidi mysteriously won the race, her face bright red and eyes shining as she signed her victory. Craig grinned and signed to his little sister about going on the tyre swing.

 

Back at the picnic tables, Babel laughed under her breath.

 

"What's so funny?" Nina asked curiously.

 

"Oh, the tyre swing reminded me of college."

 

"How's that?" Anita asked, frowning.

 

"Let me tell you about the Great Tyre Sex Swing Fiasco of '64," Babel said with a wicked smile.

 

Jared groaned good-naturedly at his mother's words and stood up to leave with Sarah and their dogs. Honey just grinned and passed them their wrapped pieces of cake, waving goodbye as Babel relayed a wild story of her college years involving a tyre swing in the college park, her boyfriend and girlfriend teasing her, and campus security catching the three of them in the act.

 

...

 

"You're not eating the cake back there, are you?" Ida asked Adam as Curtis drove them home.

 

"Nah, I'm too stuffed. I still can't believe you both got me a house for my birthday. That's seriously awesome."

 

"Well, it's not going to be built for a while yet. I'm having trouble with the deck," Curtis said. "The wood's strong, but I don't know that it'll survive Maxville's weather with the new weather supers in town."

 

"You should talk to Layla," Adam said, biting his tongue when he realised what he'd said.

 

"Why?" Ida asked curiously, Curtis frowning in the rear view mirror at their son.

 

"She's kinda growing the trees for AAA," he admitted in a rush of words.

 

"Really? That's amazing! I wondered how they got their materials so fast," Curtis admitted. "Do you think she could grow oak or cherry? It'll last longer than the pine. I'd even take maple at a stretch."

 

"I've got no idea, Pa. I'll text her and ask."

 

"Ask her which one is easiest to grow. Don't want the poor girl fainting from over-power exhaustion," Ida added.

 

Adam snorted. "Warren'd lose it if she did that again."

 

"Again? Just how many times has that poor girl fainted?"

 

"Only the once I've seen, Ma. Lay's okay and she knows better now."

 

 _We all do_ , he added mentally, remembering just how drained everyone had been after Valentine's Day.

 

"The deck will be last, so there's no real rush. Tell her to take care," Curtis said.

 

"I will, Pa," Adam said.

 

On the seat beside him, Heidi's lightbulb was glowing a soft blue colour, and several cars ahead of them, Heidi was sleeping off the excess sugar and excitement.

 

...

 

"They really loved you, Babs. Ethan's already looking at the language resources you sent him, and Grant and Jewel are organising to contact those UN reps you told them about," Honey said, smiling at her in the mirror.

 

"Oh, that's good. Garcia and Delattre are sick of dealing with me, while Tito and Pobee are sympathetic to the amount of work I have to do, so they should all agree to getting their own representatives," Babel said, smiling briefly.

 

"Garcia will talk to his allies and help the process along. Sarah, remind me to interview Grant, Jewel, Ritchie, and Katherine next... hmm, Wednesday should work."

 

"All right, I'll send Grant and Jewel an email; they can tell the other two since I don't know them. Don't forget that you have the medical facility tour on Wednesday afternoon," Sarah said, checking Honey's calendar on her phone.

 

"Okay. Can you set a reminder for Thursday morning for me to call Mississippi?"

 

"The state?" Jared asked, frowning in confusion when Sarah didn't even question Honey's request.

 

"Honey usually makes me write things like that when she's still not sure about _who_ she has to call. Half the time, she ends up asking me who's in the state and things like _this_ don't help," Sarah muttered, adding the reminder to Honey's calendar anyway.

 

" _She_ is driving you home and is willing to leave you at a bus stop," Honey reminded Sarah, grinning.

 

"Okay. I'll just change all of your passwords while we're waiting for the bus," Sarah said with a grin of her own.

 

Honey snorted in amusement. "I really missed you."

 

"Missed you too, Honey," Sarah replied.

 

Jared just shook his head at their antics, far too familiar with them by now.

 

"You really think they liked me?" Babel asked after a moment of silence.

 

"Oh, yes. I gave Frieda your phone number, she's planning on inviting you to a million and one things. Including dinner on Friday."

 

"Oh. I haven't had a non-political dinner with someone else in..." Babel trailed off, frowning as she tried to think of the last time. "Well, probably since Bernard died. That's depressing."

 

"I've taken you to dinner," Jared said.

 

"You're my son, darling. You're obligated to take me to dinner once a month," she replied, patting his hand.

 

Honey laughed and pulled into Babel's driveway. "Here you are, Babs. Next time, we'll take your jet-powered car."

 

"Thank you, dear. Driving at a regular pace is so boring in comparison now," she admitted with a laugh. "Enjoy the rest of your day," Babel said as she stood and closed the door behind her.

 

Jared and Sarah called out their goodbyes and Honey waved before backing out of the driveway carefully. Once she was on the road again, Honey used the automatic lock to lock all of the doors. Jared and Sarah looked from their doors to each other in confusion.

 

"Honey, what's going on?" Sarah asked.

 

"When are you going to admit that you eloped while on your holiday?"

 

"What?" Jared asked, his voice squeaking.

 

"Don't bother trying to lie to me, Jared. I _will_ leave you at a bus stop. In Westville," Honey threatened.

 

"You saw the plans, didn't you? They're ridiculous and over-the-top, and we just... didn't want that stress. So we decided to get married there instead," Jared said quickly.

 

"We'll still have a ceremony and reception, so the mothers can plan those to their hearts' content," Sarah added.

 

"You'll have to tell them soon. The spa day would be best. Leave the rings on," Honey added.

 

Sarah sighed in relief. "They're not going to be upset, then?"

 

"Oh, they're going to be pissed. But your wedding is about the two of you, not other people. I'll remind them of that, and they'll get over it by the time the facials happen."

 

"The facials are at the end of the day. Ugh, that's great."

 

"Would you like moral support?" Jared offered, squeezing Sarah's hand gently.

 

"You hate getting massages, Jared. I'm not making you do that _and_ suffer their wrath."

 

"Ooh, your wedding song's on," Honey said, turning her radio on with a grin.

 

" _When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be,_

_I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you._

_When I go out, well I know I'm gonna be,_

_I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you_."

 

Sarah pealed with laughter as Jared started singing along loudly and badly.

 

...

 

End of the seventy-first chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100% serious that Sarah & Jared's wedding song is 'I would walk 500 miles'


	72. Chapter 72

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meeeeeee - "

 

Adam rolled his eyes and flicked the switch on his headphones, Craig's song cutting off as blissful silence filled his ears instead.

 

Ida didn't have noise-cancelling headphones, though she desperately wanted them. "You're meant to be looking at the directions, Craig," she said, glancing over at him.

 

Craig pouted and picked up his phone again. "Oh, turn right here. Almost missed it, sorry, Mrs. S."

 

"Yeah, you would've been. You can't go in the store if we don't get to the store," she muttered.

 

Craig kept his eyes on the map, glancing up every few seconds to check street signs as they passed. "Oh, here, here. On the left," he said, grinning.

 

Ida pulled into the parking lot, glancing up at the large sign that said 'the sweet spot' with the 'O' replaced by a cherry. "Now, Honey said she's picking all of you up with Frieda. Are you sure you don't want me to walk you in?" she offered.

 

"Nah, we'll be all right," Craig said, grinning as he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Thanks for the lift, Mrs. S. Hey, Adam, we're here," he said, poking his friend's shoulder.

 

"I know; I can see that for myself," Adam said, tugging his headphones off.

 

"Oh, that's Frieda now. Good. I'll see you tomorrow for your birthday, okay, dear?" Ida said, turning in her seat to smile at her son.

 

"Thanks, Ma. I know you and Da have gotta work, so don't stress about it, okay?" Adam said, smiling briefly. It wouldn't be the first time he'd be waking to an empty house on his birthday.

 

"You're such a good son, Adam. Love you."

 

"Love you too, Ma. Have a good shift at work," Adam said, pecking a kiss to her cheek before getting out of the car.

 

Ida waved to Frieda and Layla, then drove out past Nina as she was arriving with Warren.

 

"I could go in with you, if you're nervous?" Nina offered.

 

"I'm fine, Mum. Okay, I'm a little nervous, but I'm still fine," Warren added.

 

"Are you sure? I'll promise to shop in a different part of the store," Nina said.

 

"Oh, Super Jesus, no. I don't want to be thinking about that."

 

"You don't want to think about masturbation while in a sex store?"

 

"I don't want to think about my _mother_ masturbating, eww."

 

Nina laughed at Warren's horrified expression. "All right, I think that's enough embarrassment to last you the rest of the day, what about you?"

 

"It's enough for the rest of the month. You _know_ Frieda's going to say something as well, so that counts too."

 

"Aw, poor cutie-pie."

 

"Nope. I'm leaving. Love you, bye," Warren said, getting out of the car and closing the door on Nina's laughter.

 

"Hi, Warren. Excited?" Layla asked, brightly.

 

Warren shook his head and pulled her in for a warm hug, trying to forget his conversation with his mother. Frieda smiled and waved to Nina as she left.

 

"Could you stop looking so perky about this? It's a little creepy, Lay," Adam said, frowning.

 

"Dude, I'd be jumping up and down in excitement if I could. Perky's nothing," Craig pointed out.

 

"Yeah, I've seen you do that jumping thing when you were trying to imitate Penny. It was bad," Adan said, shaking his head.

 

Zach and Ethan arrived next, Richard waving out to Frieda and the others before driving off.

 

"Why do you have a folder, Ethan?" Frieda asked curiously.

 

"Zach and I have some questions for Darla and I didn't want to forget them. I also went on the shop's website last night to compare some items that I'm curious about, so I want to make sure I'm comparing the same products as the ones I saw online."

 

"That's very efficient of you. Darla's willing to answer any and all questions; believe me, it's nothing she's never heard before. Just don't flirt with her, it's unseemly and I've promised her a well-behaved group of teenagers," Frieda warned.

 

"Oh my god, that's Grant's car!" Craig said, his voice close to a squeal. "Dude, hold me," he said, grabbing Zach's arm.

 

Zach laughed and hugged him. "Better?"

 

"Yeah, a little. Grant and Jewel are buying me a birthday present today."

 

"Lucky you."

 

Grant and Jewel greeted everyone, then tugged Craig close to kiss and hug him in turn. By the time they were finished, Wendy and Donny had arrived.

 

"Can you all keep it down? Geez," Donny groaned, wrinkling his nose at them all. "Really, Ethan?" he added when he saw the folder.

 

"I wanted to come prepared," he replied, holding the folder close to his chest.

 

"That's what she said," Craig said, Zach snickering into his fist to muffle the noise.

 

"I'll wait in the car," Donny said, rolling his eyes.

 

"Oh, no, you don't," Wendy said, taking his hand and tugging him close to kiss and distract him. "I'll keep you safe," she said with a smile.

 

Donny breathed deeply, a light blush on his cheeks as he registered his girlfriend's thoughts, and he licked his lips. "All right. But I already hate the rest of you _so much_."

 

"I'm not thinking about sex," Adam volunteered.

 

"I am," Frieda said, laughing when more than one of them winced. "Ah, there's Darla. How are you, dear?"

 

"Running on about an hour of sleep. The show went late and one of the girls lost her wig over a stolen makeup brush that had actually fallen on the floor," Darla replied, rolling her eyes.

 

Wendy's jaw dropped at the drag queen that was walking up the path to open the shop. "Oh my... I _love_ your eyebrows!"

 

"Thank you, sweetheart, that's kind of you," Darla replied with a smile. "Now, don't you worry about anyone bothering you today; you've got the whole shop to yourselves. I'm all ears, so ask me anything. _After_ I have my coffee," she added when Ethan opened his mouth.

 

Frieda laughed. "Oh, don't look so worried. I've seen Darla down a large espresso in under a minute."

 

"The stage waits for no one, even if they've just paid eight dollars for an espresso," Darla said over her shoulder, unlocking the door and opening it wide. "Welcome to the _Sweet Spot_ ," she said with a wink.

 

"Thank you!" Craig said, heading inside and tugging Grant and Jewel along with him.

 

As the others entered the shop, Donny hugged Wendy tightly, his eyes squeezed shut and muttering about elephants under his breath.

 

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Darla asked, concerned about Donny's pale expression.

 

"He's a telepath," Wendy explained, rubbing gentle circles on Donny's back.

 

"Ah," Darla winced. "I've just run out of repressing cuffs, I'm sorry, sweetheart."

 

"You sell them?" Donny asked, exhaling slowly as he unwound himself from Wendy.

 

"I only order them on special request. The cuffs can be unlocked, of course, not like the prison ones," Darla reassured him. "Some supers need to... not be super to have super sex," she said, grinning.

 

Donny considered that and nodded. "I might have to get one, just in case we come back here again."

 

Wendy grabbed his hand and squeezed gently. "Stay close, I'll think louder than all of them," she said with a smile.

 

Darla ushered them inside and closed and locked the door to ensure that no one would come in while Frieda and her numerous children were there.

 

"I took the liberty of making your coffee, Darla dear," Frieda said, smiling up at her. "Zach's distracting Ethan for the moment, but you'll have them coming back with questions sooner rather than later. Craig, Grant, and Jewel, they're the dears I told you about. Warren and my daughter Layla; don't worry about his stern expression, he's just shy. Donny and Wendy, well, it would probably be better if they had a cuff. The poor dear is probably going to have an awful time with all of his friends' thoughts," she mused, frowning.

 

"So, you must be Adam," Darla said to Adam as she sipped her coffee.

 

Adam was already on his laptop and frowned from the screen up at Darla. "Your security cameras aren't very secure."

 

"What do you mean? They're the best on the market."

 

Adam snorted. "Yeah, no," he said as he turned his laptop around to show her the security feed he'd already accessed. "It took me four full minutes, which is two minutes longer than most camera feeds, so they're probably more secure than some cameras, but not by much," Adam said, shrugging.

 

"Ooh, that bastard. Wait 'til I get my hands on his throat. No, wait, he'll like that. Ugh," Darla muttered, trying to think of a solution as she drank her coffee.

 

"I can make them secure, for a price," Adam said.

 

"How much?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"A hundred. It adds an extra layer of security, so even if someone accesses the camera feeds directly, they won't be able to see what's on the screen. I can also clear up the picture; they're really fuzzy," Adam said, frowning at the images of his friends. "Oh, god. I just learned more than I ever wanted to know," he said with a wince.

 

Darla considered the amount she knew others would charge, then nodded. "I can do a hundred. How long will it take to fix?"

 

"Twenty minutes. That includes testing," Adam said.

 

"Great, go ahead then. Or would you prefer to come back another time when your friends aren't in here?" Darla offered.

 

"Then it would be strangers and that's somehow worse," he said, wrinkling his nose. "I'll do it now; someone's already accessed the feed in the past week."

 

"What?"

 

"I've already stopped them from accessing it again," Adam reassured her.

 

"Make it a hundred and fifty if you find out who accessed it," Darla said, incensed that someone would jeopardise her clients' safety and privacy.

 

"Sure," Adam said, reaching up to put his headphones on.

 

"Oh, before you start, sweetheart. There's some books behind the counter for you," she said, going around to the staff side of the counter to grab a selection of books.

 

Adam tilted his head to read the titles about asexuality. "Thanks."

 

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

 

"Uh, excuse me, Miss Darla? Have you finished your coffee yet?" Ethan asked hesitantly.

 

Darla swallowed the last of her coffee in a large gulp and set the mug aside. "Done. What would you like to ask, sweetheart?" she asked, smiling.

 

Ethan grinned and opened his folder.

 

Adam flicked the noise-cancelling switch and started to work on Darla's security system.

 

Grant grinned as Craig's blush deepened with every outfit they looked at. He wondered what Craig would look like in the French maid's outfit, but they still hadn't reached it yet, Craig deliberating over the nurse's outfit and the retro stewardess.

 

"Okay, I can't take this anymore. Get the maid's outfit, for Super Jesus' sake!" Donny snapped from the next aisle.

 

"Sorry," Jewel and Grant called out at the same time, Craig turning bright red.

 

"There's a fitting room; let's give Donny some peace, shall we?" Grant offered, taking several sizes off the rack and kissing Craig before leading him to the fitting rooms at the back of the store.

 

"You want one of these, Wendy?" Jewel asked, grinning.

 

Donny sighed. "Pass the stewardess one, please."

 

"Size fourteen, thanks, Jewel," Wendy said.

 

"No problem," Jewel said, grinning as she grabbed the right size and passed it over the shelving to Donny and Wendy. "Have fun," she called, heading after her boyfriends.

 

The only reason Donny didn't try to leave the shop again was because Wendy was looking at the lingerie and imagining herself in every piece. It was _just_ distracting enough to not hear the thoughts of their friends.

 

"What do you think about leather?" Wendy asked, her thoughts making Donny's jaw drop.

 

"We can do that," he said, nodding firmly.

 

Once Darla had opened the doors, Warren grabbed Layla's hand and guided her as far away from their friends as possible. He didn't care where they ended up so long as it didn't involve Frieda calling him cutie or seeing the others for the next hour.

 

"Hmm, I didn't know you were interested in floggers," Layla said curiously, smiling.

 

"What? Oh. I just didn't want to be around the others," Warren admitted.

 

Layla's smile slipped. "Are you all right, Warren?"

 

He sighed and pulled her close to kiss firmly. "I'm nervous."

 

"Okay. Do you want to go somewhere else? Frieda can drop us off at the movies or something, if you'd prefer?" she asked.

 

Warren shook his head. "No, I'm okay. Just... We could've come here together, _alone_ ," he said.

 

"We could have, but that would mean normal opening hours and strangers in here with us. We're with friends and they won't judge us for anything we look at or buy, just like we won't judge them, okay?" Layla murmured, kissing him again and feeling his shoulders ease under her hands.

 

Warren didn't really like being in the store with friends, but the idea of being in there with strangers was even worse. He kissed Layla once more and hugged her firmly. "All right, hippie. What do you want to look at first?" Warren asked.

 

Layla smiled. "Well, since we're here, how do you feel about floggers?"

 

"I'll try anything once, hippie."

 

Layla's smile turned wicked and her eyes flashed green. "Anything?"

 

"Anything you want, hippie," Warren promised.

 

Layla laughed and kissed him. "I love you."

 

"Love you, too."

 

"We'll come back to the floggers; I saw some strap-ons before," Layla said, taking Warren's hand and leading him down the aisle.

 

The mental image that followed Layla's words made Warren's cheeks burn red.

 

Zach was looking at the ropes with a frown, wondering if the colours meant anything or were just meant to be pretty. The orange one was nice and he thought Ethan would look good in it, but he didn't want to _hurt_ Ethan, and some ropes were designed to hurt.

 

Ethan returned down the aisle, his questions answered and the folder sitting at the front desk so he could collect it before leaving without needing to carry it around. "Anything caught your interest?" Ethan asked, smiling.

 

"Do the colours mean anything?" Zach asked.

 

"Not that I've read about. What colour?" Ethan asked, looking at the various ropes hanging in figure-eight loops from the racking.

 

"Orange. You... You look good in orange," Zach said with a shy smile.

 

Ethan kissed him gently. "You'd look good in it too. Let's try it out, okay?"

 

Zach nodded, glowing softly. He grabbed the orange rope and put it in his basket. "Oh, I found this. What do you think?" Zach asked, holding out a ball gag.

 

"I don't think I'd be able to do that. Or is it for you?" Ethan asked.

 

"For me. It might shut me up," Zach said with a grin.

 

"I like your noises. But if you want to try it out, we can," he said.

 

"I wouldn't mind something, but I'm not sure about this one now."

 

"How about we start with something small? I saw a silk sash, that's enough to let you breathe and muffle your noise," Ethan suggested.

 

Zach nodded and replaced the gag on the shelf. "Oh, did you see the paddles? They're in the next row."

 

"No, I haven't seen them. Show me?" Ethan asked, taking Zach's hand and grabbing a silk sash as they continued through the shop.

 

"Hey," Zach said to Layla and Warren as they walked into the same aisle.

 

"Hi, Zach. Where'd you get the basket?" Layla asked.

 

"They're at the front near the door," he said.

 

"Thanks. We might need one sooner rather than later," Layla said with a smile, guiding Warren out to the front.

 

Zach stopped at the paddles. "I thought this one would be good," he said, indicating to one.

 

"It's not."

 

"What the hell, Adam? I thought you were turning the speakers off?" Zach hissed at his phone.

 

"I turned the recording off; I don't want a record of this. But yeah, dude, that paddle's got really bad reviews online. Breaks easily, which I'm assuming you don't want. The one down and to the left is better for beginners."

 

"Thanks, Adam," Ethan said, grabbing the suggested one.

 

Frieda checked her phone as it chimed loudly, then looked over to the door where Honey was waiting. "I'm just letting Honey in, Darla," she called over her shoulder to where Darla was checking the camera feeds and upgraded security.

 

"Lock the door behind you, sweetheart," Darla replied.

 

Frieda let her daughter in with a smile, locking the door behind her. "Hello, dear. You're late, is everything okay?"

 

"Zona's interview ran late. She had a diva fit live on air and destroyed a microphone. It's coming out of her cheque," Honey said sourly. "I'll be right back," she said, kissing her mother's cheek before heading down one of the aisles.

 

"Hi, Honey. Are you okay?" Wendy asked.

 

"This first, then explanations," Honey said, pulling a white cuff out of her bag and handing it to Donny. She rummaged for a moment longer to produce a key and passed it to Wendy.

 

"Oh, thank fuck. I could kiss you, but you're late," Donny muttered, slipping the cuff on. His shoulders lost their tension as the cuff clicked into place.

 

"Zona's interview went over time because she turned up drunk and had a diva fit during a live interview. It's the third microphone she's destroyed in three months, so I'm taking the repair fees out of her cheque."

 

"If she's such a pain in the ass, why are you interviewing her so much?"

 

"Contractual obligation. Plus, she's actually interesting when sober. Drunk Zona just swears unintelligibly and gets paranoid about people talking about her, then trashes the room. A few times, she was so drunk she didn't even notice I'd left her in a room by herself. I found her talking to a lily flower once."

 

"She sounds like an idiot."

 

"She's honestly smarter than her diva persona indicates. So, she's the reason I'm late, or else you would have had the cuff before Darla opened the doors," Honey said, rolling her eyes.

 

"Well, thanks for bringing it now, Honey," Wendy said with a smile.

 

"Thank you," Donny said distractedly, thinking about Honey's words.

 

"No problem. Have fun," Honey said, heading back to her mother.

 

"Feeling better, Donny?" Wendy asked.

 

"Yeah, much better. But now I can't hear your thoughts," he admitted with a frown.

 

Wendy grinned. "Then I'll just have to tell you every thought I have," she said, moving to whisper in his ear, her hand curled in his hair.

 

"Y-yeah. That works," Donny said, dazed.

 

Wendy kissed him and grabbed another outfit to try on.

 

"That outfit shrinks after one wash," Adam's voice came from her phone.

 

"Oh. Thanks, Adam. What about this one?" Wendy asked, putting it back and grabbing another one.

 

"It's fine if you follow the instructions on the label," he replied.

 

"Why are you telling us this?" Donny asked, frowning.

 

"Because I don't want to have to hear you complaining about paddles breaking or outfits shrinking. _This_ is bad enough; you're totally ruining my search history," Adam muttered.

 

Jewel adjusted her shirt as she walked out of the fitting room, her lipstick smeared. Grant came out next, adjusting his pants briefly and wiping lipstick off his lips. Half a minute later, Craig came out of the fitting room, his cheeks red and lipstick marks trailing down his neck.

 

"All right, I'll wear it on our first Skype date," Craig said, licking his lips and running a hand through his curls.

 

"You need to bring the outfit out of the fitting room if we're going to buy it for you, babe," Jewel reminded him, grinning.

 

"Oh, yeah," he murmured, going back into the fitting room.

 

"Hmm, maybe I should help him," Grant murmured, draping himself around Jewel, his arms wrapping around her stomach.

 

"No. You're staying here with me and then we're all going to look at vibrators."

 

Grant laughed and pressed a lipstick kiss to her pale neck. "You're just doing that to see Craig blush, aren't you?"

 

"That's the second reason. The first involves orgasms," Jewel replied with a smirk.

 

"We can find one of those couples vibrators, you know, the one where we can change the settings with an app?"

 

"App ones don't connect great, apparently. Jeez, this review is _seriously_ in-depth. I'm actually scared, so you can read that yourself," Adam said, Jewel's phone chiming with a message a second later.

 

"Uh. Thanks?" Jewel said.

 

"Donny, you need bleach my brain," Adam called.

 

Donny laughed, the noise muffled against Wendy's mouth. "Coming."

 

"I don't want to know that!"

 

"Darla, can I ask you about... uh," Craig stopped, flushed red, and glanced over to Adam.

 

"I'm putting my headphones on, dude," Adam said, turning on the noise-cancelling function and returning his attention to his laptop.

 

"Go ahead, sweetheart," Darla said with an encouraging smile.

 

"Uh, well, do you have anything about threesomes?" Craig asked.

 

"Plenty. Books, videos, toys? All of the above?"

 

Craig blinked. "I don't know. Grant and Jewel, they know more than I do. I mean, I've got a PornHub account, but porn's not _real,_ y'know? I just... don't know what to do?"

 

"Well, sweetheart, that's why I'm here. And you knowing that porn isn't real is better than most of my clients," Darla said, rolling her eyes. "Now, let's go look at a few books, and then I'll see if I can find a good video or three for you, okay?"

 

"Okay, thanks," Craig said, sighing in relief.

 

Darla smiled and walked around the counter to lead Craig down an aisle.

 

"Did you find anything fun?" Layla asked Ethan and Zach, smiling.

 

"Heaps. Darla answered all of our questions, so we're gonna try something new," Zach added, grinning. "How about you?"

 

"A few things. I'm still deliberating between the lube and condoms though. The flavoured ones just seem _tacky_ , but _ribbed for her pleasure_ seems like a gimmick," Layla said, wrinkling her nose.

 

"Whatever you do, _don't_ get the ones that have the numbing agent on them," Ethan said, shuddering. "The same goes for anal lube, if you're ever going to do that. It can cause damage to the anus' internal walls and then it can get infected and... just _don't_ Google Image it."

 

"The thick water lube is best," Zach added, not saying a thing when Warren grabbed a package out of Layla's basket and headed back down the aisle. "Also, Eth, you said _anus_ and I didn't laugh."

 

"I'll reward you later," Ethan said, kissing his cheek.

 

Layla was curious, but not willing to ask. Warren returned with a different lube, putting it in the basket.

 

"Oh, hey," Jewel said, seeing them as she turned the corner. "Have you seen the sex swings? Darla said they're down this aisle," she asked.

 

Grant was behind her, carrying three outfits, a bullet vibrator, and an anal plug.

 

"Halfway down the aisle. The padded one is better, comes with all of the necessary tools and attachments, and there's an extra hand strap, apparently," Warren said.

 

"You decided not to buy one?" Jewel asked curiously, not seeing it in Layla's basket.

 

"I have vines," Layla said with a shrug.

 

"Yeah, but they have thorns," Zach said, frowning.

 

"Zach," Ethan said in a warning tone.

 

"Right, shutting up."

 

Grant grinned and followed Jewel down the aisle.

 

"I want to have another look at the designs in that rope book," Ethan said.

 

"This is the third time you're looking at it, so that means we're buying it," Zach replied as he and Ethan left the aisle.

 

"I need to not know half of the things I just found out about, hippie," Warren said, wincing.

 

Layla kissed him firmly. "You've done really well, Warren."

 

Warren sighed against her lips.

 

"Come on, I'm curious about those outfits."

 

"For you or me?" Warren asked as they headed to the other end of the shop.

 

"I don't know yet," Layla replied, grinning as she took his hand.

 

Warren stopped short, Layla looking to him in confusion. Seeing his curious expression, Layla followed his gaze, grinning when she saw the black and red corset hanging up. Moving so she was closer to Warren, Layla kissed his cheek to draw his attention to her. "For you or me?" she asked.

 

"You. Please," Warren asked breathlessly.

 

On her wrist, Layla could feel Warren's arousal building up, obviously imagining her in the corset. "Do you want the riding crop too?"

 

Warren shook his head. "Just you in that."

 

"We can go shopping online for underwear together. Maybe some thigh high stockings," Layla suggested.

 

Beside her, Warren burst into flames. Hurrying to put them out at Darla's surprised yell, Warren called out an apology.

 

"Well, forty minutes is a lot longer than I expected. I thought someone would power up within ten minutes," Frieda said, grinning.

 

"Uh, hi, Frieda," Warren said, his cheeks burning red.

 

"Hello, dear. Now, I've asked Darla to put everything on my gold member card, so you can all get the Sweet Discount," Frieda said.

 

"That's nice, thank you, Frieda."

 

"You're doing this just so you can say 'gold member' again, aren't you?" Warren asked, sighing.

 

"Of course, dear. It's no fun if I don't get to tease someone. Now, since Darla's finished with Craig, I need to talk to her about my next order," Frieda said, heading back to the front desk.

 

"Come on, hippie. There's a fitting room at the back," Warren said, seeing the sign down the aisle.

 

"Hmm, medium or large? Ooh, there's a green one too. I'll try one of each," Layla decided.

 

Warren grabbed the corsets from the rack and headed to the back of the store. Behind him, Layla looked at a few more corsets, smiling slowly at the sight of another one and taking it off the rack before following after Warren.

 

"What's that, hippie?" Warren asked when he saw another corset in the basket, hanging Layla's two corsets on the hook.

 

"Your corset. If you want to, of course. Just because you said anything, you don't have to do _everything_ , okay?" Layla added, setting the basket down before rising on her toes to kiss him.

 

Warren wrapped his arms around her and kissed her firmly, feeling relief unfurl in his chest. He knew that Layla wouldn't make him do anything he was uncomfortable with, but for the most part, he'd meant his words. They pulled away a moment later, Layla's eyes glazed and her breath short. Warren pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "I'll try it on, hippie."

 

"Okay. Stay in here, I want to watch," Layla said, smiling as she sat down on the fitting room's seat.

 

"Can we change at the same time?"

 

Layla nodded and stood up again, pulling her shirt up and over her head. Unclipping the first corset, she read the instructions hanging from the side, turning the corset around and loosening the laces carefully.

 

Warren looked at his corset, then over at Layla's. Hers seemed to clip closed at the front, while his zipped on the side. Shrugging off his jacket, Warren pulled off his shirt and hung both on a hook. A soft noise behind him had Warren turning around, feeling a pulse of desire from Layla. "You've seen me take my shirt off before, hippie," he said in confusion.

 

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate you now, does it?" she asked with a smile, her expression slipping to one of concentration as she started to fasten the corset together.

 

Grabbing his corset, Warren unzipped it on the side, slid it over his head and tugged it into place before zipping it up again. Moving over to the mirror, Warren shifted in the corset, trying to get comfortable. The maroon leather curved below his pecs to nestle between them, the material pointing up to his chin. The hem of the corset was arched in a similar way, but pointing downwards instead.

 

"What do you think?" Layla asked behind him, kissing his shoulder blade.

 

"I don't hate it or love it," Warren said, unsure how to describe his reaction to the corset. "How's yours?" he asked, turning around to face Layla.

 

 _She'd chosen the red and black corset_ , was all Warren could think, his mind completely blank of any other response, his jaw dropping.

 

"You like it?" Layla asked with a grin. Her hands slipped down her sides to rest on her hips, framing her body and accentuating the corset resting between her breasts, her red hair flowing over her shoulders.

 

"Fuck."

 

"I'll take that as a yes?" Layla teased, closing his mouth by pressing her fingertips against his chin.

 

"Fuck, yes." Warren surged up against her, kissing her heatedly.

 

Layla kissed him in return, her fingers slipping along his pecs to tweak his nipples.

 

 _Okay, he liked the corset_.

 

Warren grabbed Layla's hips, pulling her against him, his tongue delving between her lips and revelling in the soft noises she made in response.

 

"Warren, wait. Stop, please," Layla said, pulling away.

 

Warren stepped back immediately, his eyes burning blue as his chest heaved in his corset.

 

"We can't have sex in here," she said, indicating to the sign stating 'do not have sex in here!'.

 

Warren licked his lips and nodded reluctantly. "If that sign wasn't here?"

 

Layla grinned and kissed his mouth. "I don't really want my first time in a sex store, no matter how sexy you look."

 

Warren nodded, kissing her a few times. "Do you like the corset? Is it comfortable?" he asked, realising he hadn't actually asked Layla yet.

 

"It's a little more restricting than I'd like, but I don't think I'd be wearing it for a whole day. I might try the green in the next size up," Layla decided. "Is yours growing on you?"

 

"I think so. I'll keep it on while you're changing and see how I feel after a few more minutes."

 

"Okay. Can you help untie me?" Layla asked, turning and moving her hair aside.

 

Warren kissed her shoulder, then unlaced the corset carefully. Layla let out a soft groan of relief as she unclasped it at the front.

 

"Give it a few minutes, hippie. That one left some marks on you," Warren murmured, frowning as he stroked the red marks on her ribs gently.

 

"I think I tied it too tight," Layla admitted, inhaling and exhaling deeply now that she could.

 

Warren's hand splayed across his skin, stroking under her bra. "You looked amazing, but we don't need it right now, hippie. If you're comfortable and want one, we can buy it another time," he added.

 

"The website does offer discreet packaging," Layla mused. "It's on the business cards at the front," she added at his curious look.

 

"Let me know if you go shopping? I'd like to look with you," Warren said with a warm grin.

 

"All right, kids. Time for _Darla's story time_ ; make your way to the front!" Darla said over the PA.

 

"Story time?" Layla echoed, looking to Warren in confusion.

 

He shrugged. "Mum did say that Frieda proposed this as educational; I'm guessing this is the educational part."

 

"Take the corset off," Layla prompted when Warren went to grab his shirt.

 

"Right. Thanks."

 

They were dressed again in a moment, and on their way to the front of the store, Layla replaced the tight corset, keeping the larger size in case she had a chance to try it on later. She noticed that Warren kept his corset in hand and smiled.

 

"What does story time involve?" Ethan asked curiously, sitting next to Zach.

 

"Sexual health and education," Darla replied. "Trust me, I went to a public school _and_ Sky High, and neither of them explained what sex in real life is actually like. It's messy and sweaty, and if you do it right, it can be damn good fun, too."

 

"You went to Sky High?" Zach asked.

 

Darla nodded, coughed slightly, and responded in his male voice. "Daryl; you may know me as the Director."

 

"You directed _Oklahoma!_ The Commander is _still_ upset he wasn't cast as the lead for that play," Layla said.

 

Darla rolled her eyes. "Well, I chose the lead with both talent _and_ looks, and I stand by that decision, sweetheart."

 

"Oh, I've heard him sing; I don't blame you at all," Layla said, grinning as the others laughed.

 

"Go on, Darla, dear," Frieda prompted once the laughter had settled down.

 

Darla nodded and began talking.

 

...

 

End of the seventy-second chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren's corset based on [this](https://pin.it/5y5duzqfcsm5bl)


	73. Chapter 73

"Happy birthday, Adam!"

 

"Can my birthday present be that you _don't_ kiss while I'm in the room?" Adam groaned, covering his eyes when he saw Jewel tugging Craig close.

 

"Too late. Sorry, man," Grant said with a grin. "We'll leave you alone after presents, how about that?"

 

Adam frowned. "We already got our presents at the barbecue."

 

"We've got another present for you," Layla said, smiling brightly.

 

"Come on, leave them in here," Warren added, shaking his head at the trio.

 

Without moving away from Jewel's lips, Craig flipped him the bird.

 

"Wait, what happened to all of our chairs?" Ethan asked, seeing that the room across from the library was empty.

 

Heidi's seat in the library still remained, though it had been adorned with several bright pillows to dull the effect of the burnt wood. Zach walked into the library, sitting on Heidi's chair and hugging a pillow to his chest, patiently waiting for an explanation.

 

"I moved them to the lower Hive. The front room is going to be the sales area. I've got AAA Contractors building some tables and shelves from the scrap pieces of wood to display the flower arrangements, Warren's honey, local artwork, that sort of thing," Layla said.

 

"Speaking of, did you get the flyer I sent you?" Wendy asked.

 

"I did; I thought I replied?" Layla said with a frown, opening her email on her phone. "Oh, it's still stuck in drafts. The flyer's great, I really like what you did with the pictures of the chairs. If you want to go ahead and print them, that would be brilliant."

 

"And the font size was okay?"

 

"Yeah, large enough to be readable, not so large people feel like you're shouting at them," Layla said with a smile.

 

"That's a relief, thanks. I'll send it through to Honey; apparently she owns a print shop in Westville," Wendy said, opening her emails to find the flyer.

 

"I've almost finished designing the website too. Are you sure you don't want a shopping cart on it?" Adam asked.

 

"I'm sure. I don't want to have to worry about specialty orders or someone wanting a thousand flowers in the next hour. They can buy what's in the store," Layla said with a firm nod.

 

"Mention something about them being exclusive items and you'll have people lining up for hours to buy one," Jewel suggested, grinning. Considering she'd come into the library alone, everyone assumed that Craig and Grant were making out now.

 

"That's a good idea. Thanks, Jewel."

 

"No problem. So, can I get one of these exclusive items for myself?"

 

"Sure, have a look at Adam's website; he has all of the photos on there of what's available," Layla said.

 

"I'll send you the website preview. Let me know what you think of it, but don't spoil it for Layla and Warren," Adam said, flicking through his phone and sending a link to Jewel.

 

"Awesome, thanks."

 

"So when do you actually open the shop? I want to get some flowers for Anita as a good luck thing for her chess match. She's totally freaking out about it. Like, even more than I freaked out about finals," Zach added with a frown.

 

"You're welcome to pick flowers from Eden; I've received the brown paper and string I ordered a few weeks ago, so I can wrap it up for you too," Layla offered, smiling.

 

"Awesome, thanks. Eth, come help me pick out flowers," Zach said, taking his boyfriend's hand to lead him past the others in the hallway, through the kitchen-diner and out to Eden.

 

"Can we get back to Adam's present? We'll be here all day if everyone keeps talking shop," Donny said, rolling his eyes.

 

"Yeah, all right. This way," Warren said, heading out of the library and down the hallway.

 

"Am I getting flowers? Not that they wouldn't be a nice gift, but the headphones were pretty great already," Adam said, the headphones slung around his neck.

 

Warren grinned and shook his head as he came to a stop. Waiting to make sure Adam and the others were ready, Warren opened the hallway door.

 

"The dressing room... oh," Adam stopped short, blinking at the transformed room.

 

What had been the dressing room only last week was now covered in soundproofing walls. The microphone receiver and speakers were set up beside a large L-shaped desk with a chair that looked even more comfortable than Adam's gaming chair at home. While it had been an enclosed space before, a medium-sized porthole window now provided a view of the trees and plants outside, as well as bringing in extra light.

 

"Curtis ordered extra soundproofing material; Warren spent all of last night putting it up and cutting out the holes for the power outlets, too," Layla said proudly. "AAA installed the window, so it's water-tight, and it's triple-glazed so it blocks out just as much sound as the walls."

 

"If you want to test it, shut the door and I'll start screaming," Wendy offered, grinning.

 

"I don't think screaming's necessary, but thanks," Adam said, laughing. "This is great, guys; I love it!"

 

"Well, it's yours. No one else is allowed inside without your permission; I made sure of it," Layla added, her eyes flashing green.

 

"Awesome! Thank you," he said sincerely.

 

"Oh, and a present for everyone: we finally got the bathroom piping hooked up to the mains, so the toilets and the showers finally work," Warren said. "There's hot water in the kitchen too."

 

"How many people can fit in the showers?" Craig called out.

 

"Your room has its own shower, Craig; find out for yourself," Layla called back.

 

Jewel laughed and followed her boyfriends to the lower Hive, just as eager and curious to find out the answer as Craig was.

 

"Do you need more water in the rainwater tank? I don't think I managed to get much in there last time," Wendy added.

 

"Yes, please, if you wouldn't mind? Some of the trees in the forest would benefit from some rain as well," Layla said.

 

"Sure. There's a summer storm coming tonight, so I'll get some rain going then," Wendy said.

 

"Thanks, Wendy."

 

"We got some flowers, Lay. What d'you think?" Zach asked, offering her the bunch of carefully picked flowers.

 

"Very nice, and the meanings match up well. Was that your doing, Ethan?" Layla asked, taking the flowers and moving a few to frame others, heading into the kitchen where the brown paper was sitting on the dining table.

 

"Yes. Bells of Ireland for luck; rosemary and sword lilies for remembrance; sage for wisdom; sugarbush for courage," Ethan recited. "Not that she'll need any of it, but it's a nice touch."

 

"They look good together, so I'm sure Anita will like that, too," Layla said, folding some paper and wrapping the flowers carefully so they wouldn't be crushed.

 

"How much do I owe you?" Zach asked.

 

"A floral arrangement is usually around fifty dollars, but since you're my friend - and it's the first sale - you only have to pay five," she replied with a warm smile, tying off the flowers in a neat bow.

 

"You're not going to make a profit that way, Layla," Ethan pointed out.

 

"Eth, shh," Zach hissed, waving at him. "Thank you, Lay. You're a goddess among supers," he said brightly, handing her a five dollar note and taking the offered bunch of flowers.

 

Layla laughed and handed the note to Ethan.

 

"I refuse to deposit _five dollars_ in the Hive's bank account," Ethan said, shaking his head.

 

"Oh, I know. But I won't have a cash register until next week, I still haven't bought a box for petty cash, and I'd rather not be in the lower Hive while Craig, Grant, and Jewel are testing their shower."

 

Ethan conceded with a nod.

 

"Why not put it in the wall? It's wood and money's paper, right?" Zach added.

 

"I hadn't thought of it. I suppose I'd better get the pantry back, too," Layla mused.

 

With a thought and burst of power, the pantry doors revealed themselves again. In the wall opposite the dining table, Layla carefully rearranged a small space to fit a flat note. She couldn't go too far into the wall, as it would go straight through to the new sales area, which kind of defeated the point. Ethan handed her the note back and Layla set it into the wall, closing the timber fibres around it.

 

"Since money's paper, can you make it?" Zach asked curiously, sniffing the flowers.

 

"You'd need a printing plate for that," Ethan said.

 

"Where can we get one of those?"

 

"Bureau of Engraving and Printing. They have super guards to stop things like this," Ethan added.

 

Zach laughed. "Yeah, but Eth, they're in a building full of _paper_. They'd focus all their energy on threats from the outside, not the threat _inside_ the building."

 

Ethan adjusted his glasses and frowned. "I can actually see the logic in that."

 

"We're not robbing the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, calm down," Warren said, rolling his eyes.

 

"But that's a good idea. We should have a list of things we can do in the future. You can hide it in the lower Hive, Lay," Zach suggested.

 

"All right. But you have to get Craig, Grant, and Jewel out of there first."

 

"Ah, shit. Hey, get out of there, we've got important things to do!" Zach called down the Hive's staircase.

 

Ethan grinned. "I don't think they heard you."

 

"How long's it take to see if people fit in a shower, anyway?" Zach muttered, heaving a sigh. "Hold my flowers, Eth?"

 

Ethan took the flowers and sat on the seat as Zach headed down into the lower Hive.

 

A minute later, there was a high pitched scream.

 

"Was that Zach?" Layla asked.

 

"I think it was Craig."

 

Adam's door opened and he came into the library, looking down the stairs. "Someone screamed through the speakers, but I didn't hear it through the walls or door! Uh, no one's dead, right?"

 

"Not that we know of," Warren said, shrugging.

 

An eerie green glow filled the room as Zach walked back up the stairs, looking paler than normal. "Never again. Never," he said emphatically.

 

"Oh, guys. Seriously?!" Donny called out, wincing.

 

"Erase my memory?" Zach asked with a whimper.

 

"What on earth were you doing down there?" Layla asked as the trio ascended the stairs.

 

"Testing Grant's control," Jewel said with a wicked grin. "Though my ears are going to be ringing for days. You didn't have to go so high with the scream, babe," she said, kissing Craig's cheek.

 

"I was trying to get a sonic blast working, but Zach scared the shit out of me!"

 

Donny winced and dulled Zach's memory, the tension leaking out of his shoulders instantly.

 

"Thanks, Don."

 

"Don't call me that. Oh, Honey's here."

 

"Huh?"

 

"Honey, the person driving us home?" Donny prompted.

 

"Oh, right. I knew that," Zach said sheepishly.

 

"We're not all going to fit in Honey's car," Ethan pointed out, frowning.

 

"We're staying and catching the bus back. I'm going to get the bees' honey," Warren explained.

 

"Yeah, have fun with that, dude," Craig said, wincing.

 

"What's wrong with bees?" Layla asked.

 

"Death, mostly."

 

"You're allergic?" Grant asked curiously.

 

"Well, no. But if they sting people, they die. It seems like a shitty thing for the bees."

 

"I use a non-lethal smoke to put them to sleep, Craig. They won't sting me - or anyone else - and they won't die," Warren said.

 

"Come on, I want to get home and finish unpacking my books," Ethan said, taking Zach's hand and leading him out of the Hive.

 

"See you guys later!" Craig called as he left with Adam, Grant and Jewel.

 

Wendy hugged Layla as Donny headed to the door. "I'll let you know about tonight's rainfall tomorrow, okay?"

 

"Great, thanks, Wendy. Don't overdo it, all right? There'll be more summer storms," Layla said with a smile.

 

"I'll try to remember that. Hope you get lots of honey," she called as she left with Donny.

 

In the parking area, Honey took a moment to admire the shiny quality of the gravel AAA had put down. Most of it had been purchased specially, but some of it - as Zach had said - was handmade and those pieces were crushed and scattered amongst the rest of the lot.

 

Warren stepped in close to Layla, kissing her firmly. "The trees don't need water, hippie."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"You asked Wendy to water the trees out the back. They're fine."

 

Layla smiled. "I forgot to tell you since you were busy with Adam's room. There's a rainwater tank near the oasis now. Once it's full, the oasis will be completely self-sufficient for a year. Depending on how much water we use, of course."

 

"How is it going to fill up without a roof and gutter system attached? Won't it be really obvious that there's a rainwater tank out there?" Warren asked, frowning.

 

"I've shaped all of the trees' leaves into a piping system to collect and add water to the tank. The tank's hidden, like the oasis," Layla promised.

 

"All of trees?" Warren echoed, heading to the back of the Hive to look for himself.

 

Layla collected their beekeeping suits and followed after him.

 

"That's amazing, hippie," Warren said, seeing how the leaves were curved into a hollow tube, while others were still flat to allow for the water to collect and flow through the tubed leaves, flowing presumably to the rainwater tank near the oasis.

 

"Thank you. Tonight, I'll be able to bend the trees towards the tank without worrying about the water affecting the leaves."

 

"I'll help," Warren offered, kissing her lightly.

 

Layla smiled and offered Warren his suit.

 

"Thanks, hippie. Let's go get some honey."

 

"Oh, remind me to keep one of the sample jars for the bus driver," Layla said.

 

"All right. Zach's right: we do need a list or something. Both up here and in the lower Hive," Warren admitted, zipping up his suit.

 

Layla nodded in agreement and zipped her suit up, pulling on her hat and then gloves before following Warren outside to the bee hives.

 

...

 

Curtis rang the doorbell and Richard answered it within a second, smiling brightly.

 

"Hey. How's things?" Richard asked, leading Ida, Curtis and Adam inside.

 

"Good. Work's been challenging; the Rivera's keep changing their mind every ten minutes about what they want," Curtis said.

 

"Ida's here, dear," Richard called out to Anita, continuing through to the kitchen.

 

"Be right down!"

 

"Oh, that's a lot of cookies," Ida said, blinking in surprise.

 

Zach waved with sticky dough fingers, and Ethan grinned as he made his way over to welcome Adam and his parents.

 

"Hey, Eth. I swear my Da's more excited about this than I am," Adam said, grinning.

 

Ethan perked up. "You're excited about visiting?"

 

"'Course I am. Why's Zach stress-cooking?" he asked.

 

"I don't know why he's stressed, it's Mum that's in the chess competition," Ethan said, grinning.

 

"It's sympathy stress. If you can talk, you can clean. I need the cookie tray for the next batch," Zach called out.

 

"Don't spend all day cooking, okay? And don't eat everything in sight; you know how you get with too much sugar," Anita said, looking into the kitchen and trying not to smile too broadly at the sight of the counter already full of cooling cookies.

 

"I'll stop him after this batch," Ethan said with a nod, adjusting his glasses.

 

"Thank you. Are you sure you don't want to come to the spa day?" Anita asked.

 

"I'm sure, Anita," Zach called. He stopped when he saw Heidi reaching for a cookie. "Hey, they're for later."

 

Heidi frowned and looked at her watch. "It's three seconds later," she said, grabbing three cookies and laughing as she ran over to Anita.

 

"Don't run inside, sweetie," Anita said, accepting the offered cookie.

 

"Thank you, dear," Ida said, taking an offered cookie.

 

"'Is good, Zach," Heidi said through her mouthful, grinning with chocolate-stained teeth.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Hey, that means we can have one too, right?" Adam asked with a grin.

 

Zach groaned. "Fine, take one. Heids, take this for the others," he added, opening a door and pulling out a container to fill with enough cookies for the others and then some. "Don't eat them all, promise?" Zach asked, waiting until she'd signed _promise_ before handing the container to her.

 

Heidi kissed his cheek and left with Anita and Ida for their spa day out.

 

"Have fun!" Ethan called.

 

While he was distracted, Adam grabbed four cookies, handing two to Ethan.

 

"I said _one_ , dude. The rest are being sold at the Hive so stop stealing them. The ones on the silver rack should be cool now, you can help pack them up. Six cookies, baking paper first and then the cellophane and ribbon," Zach said, nodding to the tray as he scooped out another ball of cookie dough.

 

Adam held his hands up. "All right, I'm not taking any more. But, like Heids said: they're good."

 

Zach smiled brightly. "Thanks, dude. If there's some leftover, you can take them."

 

"Cool," Adam said, sitting at the bench and grabbing a square of cellophane, setting the baking paper on top and balancing six cookies in the middle carefully. Bringing the sides up, Adam twisted a twist tie around the point where they met, and then tied a length of ribbon around it. "How's that look?"

 

"Oh, nice. That's neater than my bow," Zach said, grinning.

 

"I get too caught up in making them perfect, so I'm on dish duty instead. It took me an hour to make those," Ethan admitted, nodding to the three bundles beside Adam.

 

"Expect nothing less, Eth," Adam said with a snicker.

 

The doorbell rang again and Ethan flicked the tea towel at Adam before going to answer it. Donny was at the front door, with Victor and the twins coming up the path.

 

"I'll carry one, Eth can carry the other, and you can work out the stroller," Donny offered to Victor, who sighed in relief.

 

"Thanks. I swear the thing was built by people who _like_ getting their fingers caught in hinges," Victor muttered.

 

"Probably. I'll set up the playpen first. It's a pop-out, right?" Ethan asked, taking the offered set from Victor.

 

"It says it is, but it's designed by the same company as the stroller, so be careful," Victor said.

 

As Victor and Donny waited, another car arrived. Jewel got out of the passenger seat, thanking her mother for the lift. Ruby smiled and waved to the others before driving off to work.

 

"Hey, guys. Everything all right?" Jewel asked, confused as to why they were standing outside.

 

"Yeah, we're just waiting for Ethan to set up the playpen for Elijah and Elliot," Donny said.

 

"Oh, okay. I can carry the twins inside, if that's okay, Mr. Harland?"

 

"Call me Victor, please. Uh, maybe one at a time? Not that I don't trust you, but I think Elijah and Elliot have been watching too many animal nature shows; they keep trying to jump out of people's arms."

 

Jewel grinned. "Thanks for the warning. C'mon, cutie," she cooed, picking Elijah up carefully and holding him close.

 

"Hey, Jewel. You're not going to the spa day?" Ethan asked, wincing when the playpen snapped together and caught on his finger.

 

"I'm not good with the idea of strangers touching me. Besides, there's not much they'd be able to do with my skin," Jewel said, shrugging. "Hey, look at your playpen. Your papa's got some toys for you to play with," she said, jiggling Elijah in her arms when he squirmed.

 

"Okay, done!" Ethan called out.

 

Donny brought Elliot in and the twins were soon in their play area, filled with as many soft plush and noise making toys as Victor could carry with him. Donny grabbed the plush elephant, making trumpeting noises to entertain the twins.

 

"Are you okay, Victor? You look exhausted," Jewel said with a slight frown.

 

Victor yawned and sat on the lounge. "I am exhausted. Craig spent last night at Grant's, so Elijah and Elliot missed him and spent half the night crying rather than sleeping."

 

"Oh. You could have called Craig; I'm sure he would've flown home in a second," Jewel said.

 

"I know, but he deserves a night off. He's a teenager, not a parent."

 

"Craig loves Elijah and Elliot like they were his own kids, Victor. He's looked after them just as much as Cara ever did, and probably loved them more than her too. Craig would hate it if you stopped letting him take care of them," Jewel said, picking up a giraffe to wave for Elliot, smiling when he grabbed at it and babbled excitedly.

 

"All right, I'll call next time," Victor promised. "I just... I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute," he murmured, his eyes closing and chin dropping to his chest.

 

Jewel shook her head. "Your silly papa," she murmured.

 

"He'll be fine with some sleep. I'll get the door before Jared or Warren ring the bell," Donny said, climbing over the fallen throw pillows to get to the front door. "Hey, guys. Come on in; Victor's just fallen to sleep, so keep it quiet," he added in a soft tone.

 

"Sure thing," Warren replied, Jared still looking stunned at Donny's sudden appearance.

 

"Do I smell cookies?" Jared asked as they came inside.

 

Donny grinned. "Zach's stress cooking. Sympathy for Anita; she's worried about the chess championships next week."

 

"I could smell them up at Frieda's," Warren said, shaking his head.

 

"Hey, guys. You can help Adam pack cookies!" Zach called as they arrived in the kitchen.

 

"Victor's asleep, keep your voice down," Donny said, heading back to the lounge room where the twins' playpen was set up.

 

"Hey, Mr. Bowie," Ethan said, cleaning the last of the dishes.

 

"Hi, Ethan. How's your language learning going?"

 

"Could be better. I've tried to keep the same pace, but it's difficult to get motivation when there's other things to do over summer."

 

"I'm one of those things," Zach snickered.

 

Ethan shook his head. "You've had too much sugar, Z."

 

Zach grinned and kissed him. "Now I have."

 

"I'm gonna hurl on your cookies," Adam said with a groan.

 

"How about we organise a weekly session to continue the language lesson?" Jared offered. "The Council building has a free room now that the ASL class has finished for the year."

 

"That would be good. Does Saturday morning work for you, Mr. Bowie?"

 

"It should be fine. I'll check my schedule and let you know. Now, Adam, you seem to be the expert in this, so how does this cookie wrapping work?" Jared asked, sitting on a stool beside him.

 

"Cellophane on the bottom, baking paper on top of that, six cookies, then bring up the sides, tie it with a twist, and cover that with the ribbon. Match the ribbon colour to the cellophane or else Ethan gets upset."

 

"I don't get upset, it just doesn't look right," Ethan muttered.

 

"How's this?" Warren asked, holding up his own package.

 

"Great! Eth, help me move the last of the cookies to the cooling racks?" Zach asked.

 

"All right," Ethan said, taking a tea towel to move the tray.

 

"Can I use the microwave? The twins are getting hungry," Donny said, bringing in a bag with their milk, formula, and bottles.

 

"Go ahead," Zach said, nodding to the microwave.

 

"Thanks. Curtis and Richard are coming up to help soon. They're planning how to steal cookies without you noticing," Donny added as he made up the bottles.

 

"Yeah? Let's see 'em try," Zach said, cackling.

 

Victor woke up briefly when he heard the microwave beeping and Zach cackling. Blinking over to the playpen where his sons were, Victor was relieved to see Jewel playing with them. Elijah and Elliot were both babbling up at her happily, and Victor's eyes closed as he fell back to sleep, reassured that his sons were safe.

 

Curtis and Richard were lured upstairs by the smell of food, and found everyone surrounded by wrapped packs of cookies.

 

"Can we eat these?" Curtis asked.

 

Zach shook his head. "The ones on the plates are free to eat; the ones wrapped up are being sold at the Hive."

 

"Sold at what?" Curtis asked, taking a cookie.

 

"Lay's business; her mother left it to her in her will," Adam said.

 

Curtis blinked, chewing on the cookie. "Okay. This cookie's really good, Zach."

 

"Thanks, Mr. Spattle."

 

"Curtis. Mr. Spattle's my father," he said, wrinkling his nose.

 

"All right. Thanks, Curtis."

 

"Not a problem."

 

"How are you all at painting?" Richard asked curiously.

 

"Painting what?" Warren asked, not willing or dressed to paint the walls.

 

"I've got a box of miniature train model people that are still blank. Would you like to have a go at painting them?" Richard offered, looking around.

 

"I'll give it a go," Jared said, shrugging.

 

"Yeah, all right."

 

"It's a shame Dustin, Morgan, and Sonny all had to work. We could've painted an army," Richard said with a laugh as he and Curtis headed to the basement to get the paints and tiny model people.

 

Ethan grinned. "Dad's set up the train set with skyscrapers and everything. I think he could fit a replica of Maxville."

 

"Really? I might go have a look, that sounds interesting," Jared said, calling out to the two men as he hurried after them.

 

"An exact replica, Eth?" Adam asked curiously.

 

"I think so. I'll have to do some measurements. He's got enough buildings and roads; he's just missing the people, really."

 

"I'd like to see that one day, too," Warren said, thinking of Layla's plans.

 

In the lounge room, Donny laughed suddenly, Jewel glaring at him for making a loud noise and almost waking both the twins and Victor. Thankfully, all three were too exhausted to do more than stir, and kept sleeping.

 

"Come on, let's leave them to sleep," Jewel said, heading to the kitchen with Donny following after her.

 

"I'll listen out in case they wake up," Donny promised.

 

"Thanks. Hey, guys. What's going on?" Jewel asked, seeing them sitting around cookies.

 

"We're going to paint people for Richard's train model set."

 

Jewel considered Zach's response as she ate a cookie. "Well, I don't have anything better to do, so why the hell not."

 

Donny shrugged. "I guess I'm bored enough to watch paint dry."

 

Richard, Curtis, and Jared returned with boxes of paints, miniature wooden people, and a multitude of paint brushes. Warren helped Zach and Ethan move the packaged cookies out of the way, Adam moving the plate of cookies closer to his own seat.

 

"Ready to get painting?" Richard asked, smiling as he set everything down.

 

"Show us the way, oh wise Master," Zach said with a grin as Richard laughed.

 

"Pass me another cookie and we'll get started."

 

"That's your third cookie, Dad," Ethan said pointedly.

 

"What your mother doesn't know won't hurt her."

 

"What you eat will hurt you," Ethan replied, arms folded over his chest.

 

Richard sighed heavily at his son's expression. "Fine. But you're getting the bad brush for this betrayal."

 

Ethan snorted. "Fine by me, Dad."

 

"Love you too, kid," Richard said, handing the 'bad' brush to him before turning to the others. "All right, less is more, keep that in mind before we even start, okay?"

 

With his audience's rapt attention, Richard demonstrated how to paint a miniature person without _completely_ painting his own fingers.

 

...

 

End of the seventy-third chapter.


	74. Chapter 74

"What do you think the boys are going to do?" Ida asked, holding the door handle tight as Anita drove.

 

Anita concentrated for a moment as she followed Honey's minivan down the highway, muttering about knights and bishops under her breath. "Probably eat their weight in cookies," she said. "Heidi, those cookies are for everyone," she added, glancing in the rear view mirror.

 

Heidi pouted and closed the container's lid reluctantly.

 

"It's not just the boys; Jewel's with them today too. She doesn't like massages," Anita added, flicking her indicator on as Honey turned right.

 

"Oh, okay. So, is she really, y'know, with Craig and Grant?" Ida asked.

 

"Yes."

 

Ida hummed. "They'd better treat Craig right; I've known that child since before he was born and they'll have to deal with **me** if he's hurt."

 

"They won't hurt Craig, Mrs. Spattle. Grant promised," Heidi said.

 

"When did he promise that?" Anita asked curiously.

 

"After my birthday party," she replied, shrugging. "I said they couldn't hurt my brother or I'd hurt them."

 

"You think of Craig as your brother?" Ida asked.

 

Heidi nodded firmly, confused by the question. "They're all my brothers and sisters; I always wanted more, but my parents weren't real parents," she said, shrugging again.

 

Ida looked between Anita and Heidi curiously, but by the tight expression on Anita's face, she decided to leave the questions for later. _Maybe after they were relaxed by the massage_ , she mused.

 

When they pulled into the spa's parking lot, Edith, Hyacinth, Babs, and Frieda looked to be having a very heated discussion with their arms waving and expressions fierce.

 

"What on earth's going on here?" Anita murmured as she parked the car.

 

Getting out of the car and heading to their friends, Heidi smiled at Layla and tucked the cookie container under her arm to sign _hello_ and ask what was going on. Layla signed _hello_ back and added a brief explanation.

 

"Oh. Wow."

 

"What's happening?" Ida asked.

 

"Sarah and Jared got married when they were on holiday," Heidi replied. "Can I have a cookie now, Anita?"

 

"Offer them around first. They might calm the others down," Anita added.

 

Heidi figured one of Zach's cookie was worth the risk of facing four angry women. Before she could step forward, Honey blocked her and moved between them.

 

"Ladies, can you all take a deep breath? I'd like to remind you that a wedding is about the _people getting married_ , not their parents. You still have the opportunity to plan the ceremony and reception, so why not work on something you _can_ actually control, rather than something that's already happened?" Honey added. "Mum, Hyacinth, you're not even the bride or groom's parents here."

 

Hyacinth glared. "I've known Jared since he was three years old, that gives me a right - "

 

"Really? You'd believe that if this was a court case?" Honey interrupted, scoffing.

 

Her jaw clenched, Hyacinth looked away and didn't respond.

 

"Mum, are you going to calm down, or are you going to traumatise Heidi further?" Honey asked pointedly, stepping aside to reveal Heidi standing there awkwardly.

 

Frieda's fierce expression fell. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. Are you all right?" she asked anxiously.

 

Heidi nodded briefly, not convincing anyone, and then opened the container and offered the cookies to them. Reluctant, the women took one each, and Heidi turned to offer Honey, Sarah, Layla, Anita, and Ida the cookies as well. She took one for herself before they were all gone.

 

"Oh, are those Zach's cookies?" Craig asked, waving from where Grant had parked his car.

 

"You can't know that from there!" Layla said.

 

"I have a special relationship with those cookies. I've dreamt about them," Craig said seriously as he crossed the lot. "Hey, little sis," he said, signing to her and winking.

 

Heidi snorted and rolled her eyes. Grant shook his head and kissed Craig's cheek before signing to Heidi. Babs laughed, almost choking on a piece of cookie.

 

"What?" Ida asked.

 

"Grant called Heidi a girl scout and said cookie season's early," Layla said.

 

"Hey, everyone. Ooh, cookies," Wendy said, signing to ask Heidi if she could have one.

 

Heidi nodded with a smile, then offered the container to Tilda, Wendy's mother.

 

"Thank you," Tilda said, taking a cookie.

 

"All right, Heids. Container's empty, so let's get the day started," Craig said, grinning before he shoved a whole cookie into his mouth.

 

"You're going to be sick," Grant said.

 

"Nah, I've got a stomach of steel," Craig said around the cookie.

 

Ida rolled her eyes at the familiar joke.

 

Heidi put the container in Anita's car and signed to Craig, her mouth full. Craig signed back to her, then showed her his pale blue fingernails. She scrunched her nose and signed back, nodding approvingly when his nails changed to purple.

 

"All right, let's hope they have purple," Craig said as he took Grant's hand and headed into the spa.

 

"I feel like we missed something important; you feel that tension?" Grant asked quietly.

 

"Feel it? I could practically eat it. I'll ask Lay when we're inside," Craig said.

 

"Y'know, when you said they'd be pissed, I honestly didn't think they'd be _this_ pissed," Sarah muttered to Honey.

 

"All-consuming rage is hard to articulate. You're lucky Heidi got the cookies; they'll actually be calm halfway through the day now instead of the end of it."

 

"Oh, thank fuck. I was going to hide in the bathroom."

 

Honey snorted. "You would've been found sooner than you'd like. Now, let me see that ring."

 

Sarah held her hand out. "Jared's grandmother gave him the ring. He surprised me by getting it re-sized while I was having a massage. Up until that point, I was wearing a piece of string. I didn't even know he'd brought the ring on the holiday."

 

"A piece of string?" Babel asked.

 

Sarah was surprised at her mother-in-law's curious and _calm_ tone. "Uh, yeah. It was something Jared had in his pocket; we honestly hadn't planned on eloping."

 

Even more surprising than curious and calm was Babel's laughter. "Oh, my dear girl. _You_ might not have planned on it, but Jared certainly did. I proposed to his father with a piece of string to represent us being stronger together than individually. And as a bit of a gimmick because we could say that we literally tied the knot," Babel added with another laugh.

 

Sarah laughed. "I can't believe it; Jared said the same thing that night. Oh, I'm so tickling him for that."

 

"It's a shame your father had to work, Wendy. Sonny would have liked the water feature," Tilda said, nodding to the waterfall trickling over a stone wall and down into a pond.

 

Wendy grinned. "I think you mean lucky; Dad probably would've tried to modify it and we'd end up with a monsoon indoors."

 

Tilda laughed. "Well, that too. You certainly can't fault him for his enthusiasm."

 

"Welcome back, Frieda! You brought your friends, as promised! It is lovely to meet you all," a woman said with a broad and welcoming smile. "Honey, you're _finally_ back! It's been too long, we've missed you. Oh, and Esme had her baby girl, as you said she would. Nine pounds; we have plenty of photos," the woman assured them.

 

"Vesela, as always, you're a delight to see. Let me introduce you to everyone," Frieda said, turning to introduce them all. "Everyone, this is Vesela, the most cheerful woman to cross the sea by boat while dealing with both seasickness and morning sickness."

 

"It was only a few months," Vesela waved off with a smile. "Now, we have a group of fifteen booked for a mani-pedi; you're all here, yes? Good. Then massages, with two lucky people having a couple's massage?"

 

"That's us," Grant said for himself and Craig.

 

"We're getting a couple's massage?" Craig asked, frowning.

 

"Surprise," Grant said, kissing his cheek.

 

"I'll go check the chairs are ready; why don't you choose your nail polish colours?" Vesela suggested as she headed past the foyer's water feature to the back rooms.

 

"There'd better be apple juice in that room for you," Ida said sternly.

 

"Non-alcoholic sparkling champagne," Grant replied.

 

"Waste of good champagne, if you ask me," Edith muttered under her breath to Hyacinth, who nodded in agreement.

 

"Don't worry, Mrs. S. I still have a vivid recollection of the photo album you gave me last year," Craig said, shuddering.

 

"What photo album?" Layla asked curiously.

 

"High-res images of how underage drinking affects brains, bodies, and powers. None of it's pretty," Ida added.

 

"You know that guy who can teleport? He got caught in a car hood. He had to get a kidney replaced because the engine..." Craig paled and looked like he was fighting the urge to puke.

 

"Yeah, keep thinking of that. With your power, there's no way you'd come out of it unscathed," Ida said, equal parts concerned and stern.

 

"While we're on that topic: practise teleporting short distances first, okay?" Honey added.

 

Craig just nodded. Wendy looked curious about the conversation, but realised that Heidi wasn't with the group and looked around to find her.

 

"Craig, I found purple," Heidi called out from the selection of nail polishes.

 

"Ooh, I like that green," Layla said, seeing a colour as she approached.

 

They spent a few minutes choosing colours and comparing the shades. By the time they all had a colour, Vesela had returned to announce their chairs were ready. Heidi bounced on the balls of her feet, stopping herself from running forward. Anita took her hand, Heidi grinning up at her with an electric blue polish in her other hand.

 

"Is that your only colour?" Vesela asked as they passed.

 

Heidi frowned. "I can have more?"

 

"If you want," Vesela confirmed with a broad smile.

 

Heidi looked up at Anita with wide eyes. She nodded and let go of Heidi's hand with a smile. Heidi grinned brightly and hurried back to the nail polish selection.

 

Vesela waited for Heidi to return, ushering her into the room filled with massage chairs and foot spas, eight on either side of the room. Craig was already seated in a chair, a blissful expression on his face as the massage pad worked on his back and his feet soaked in warm water, his hands resting in small curved containers to soften his cuticles and nails.

 

"What colour did you get, Heidi?" Layla asked, her eyes widening when Heidi held up five nail polish colours.

 

"One on each finger and toe?" Wendy asked, signing.

 

Heidi grinned and nodded, signing _rainbow_ as well.

 

"I can't wait to see them, little sis," Craig said, Heidi beaming back at him.

 

Anita smiled at their interaction, trying not to laugh when she saw the smitten expression on Grant's face. She closed her eyes, letting herself relax as the chair massaged her. Despite promising herself to relax, Anita found her thoughts turning to various chess strategies.

 

"I can see you thinking, Anita," Honey called across from her.

 

"I'm not," Anita lied.

 

Frieda laughed and reached across to pat her forearm. "You're _allowed_ to think about the chess match, dear. Just don't let the thoughts consume you."

 

"Easier said than done," she replied, trying to redirect her thoughts and returning to the chess match instead; the floor's black and white pattern didn't help things.

 

"Just you wait; Esme will work wonders on you," Edith promised.

 

"You won't even know what a pawn is after five minutes," Hyacinth added with a grin.

 

"That would be a miracle," Anita muttered.

 

Vesela returned to the room with fourteen employees, some waving to Frieda, Hyacinth, Edith, and Honey. They each moved to one of the fifteen customers, sitting in front of them and getting started.

 

"Hello, Heidi. I'm Spyridoula. You can call me Spyro, if you'd like," a woman said, smiling as she sat in front of her.

 

Heidi bit her lip, shy with the stranger.

 

"These are lovely colours; do you want them in any order?" Spyro asked.

 

Heidi signed in response, too shy to speak.

 

Spyro smiled and signed back. "Now I see why Frieda wanted me to do your nails. My Uncle Stavros is deaf as a doornail, though he says the doornail's as deaf as him," she said, winking.

 

Heidi giggled.

 

"Don't worry, Anita dear. I made sure Spyridoula would be careful with her. I want Heidi to enjoy herself," Frieda said, smiling.

 

Relief unfurled in her chest and Anita nodded in response. "Thank you, Frieda."

 

"Oh, it's my pleasure, dear. Which colour did you choose?" Frieda asked.

 

Anita showed her the black and white nail polishes. "They're just for fun. I'll probably go back to red after the championships. What colour did you get?"

 

"They have a lovely metallic silver that will suit the dress I have for the museum's gala."

 

"Oh, that's a nice colour. I thought you were going shopping for a dress?"

 

"Oh, no. I have enough formal clothes to last me years of galas. This is for the children. We plan on spoiling them silly," Frieda said. Edith and Hyacinth both nodded in agreement.

 

"Adam and I have been finding pictures for the twins' suits. I know it's black tie, but can they wear charcoal grey?" Craig asked across the room.

 

"Of course, dear. They're babies, no one's going to berate them for wearing grey instead of black," Edith said.

 

"Aw, yes. Grant, remind me to text Adam after this," Craig said, looking to his wet fingers.

 

Grant nodded. "The black suits were cute though."

 

"One of each?"

 

"Honey, my baby is on the screen," Esme said proudly, nodding to the television screen.

 

"Oh, look at her. She's gorgeous, Esme."

 

Babel, Frieda, Edith, and Hyacinth immediately started asking Esme questions about her baby, _oohing_ and _ahhing_ over the baby pictures that were displaying.

 

"What colour are you getting, Wendy?" Layla asked, smiling at her.

 

"Sky blue. It sparkles," she said with a grin. "Did you end up getting that green?"

 

"I found a darker one. Forest green, I think it's called. Frieda said it'd last long enough for the museum's gala."

 

"Oh, nice. Have you thought about what style dress you want?"

 

"Something simple since I plan on wearing it again. It's ridiculous to buy things with the intent on wearing them once," Layla said, frowning. "What about you?"

 

Wendy grinned. "Something tight and revealing. I plan on making Donny drool for at least two straight minutes."

 

"So are you going to surprise him with the dress, or is he going to help you pick it out?" Layla asked.

 

"I'm not sure yet. I think he might be busy getting fitted for his suit, so it might end up being a surprise. What about you and Warren?"

 

"He's getting a suit fitted, so he'll be surprised too. Why don't we help each other decide instead?" Layla offered.

 

"Sounds good to me. I'll need shoes and jewellery too. Oh, and my hair. I'll have to do something fancy with it."

 

"Frieda's taking me to a hairdresser before the gala to get it professionally done. My mother helped with the curls for Homecoming last year," Layla added, smiling sadly.

 

"Well, they looked amazing," Wendy said with a warm smile.

 

"Thanks. Would you like to come? I can ask Frieda," Layla offered.

 

"If it doesn't take up too much time, that would be amazing. I usually lose patience halfway through and then I create a storm and my hair's ruined anyway," Wendy admitted, laughing.

 

Heidi's peals of laughter had everyone looking to her. Spyro was scrubbing the sole of her foot with a pumice stone, tickling Heidi and making her laugh and squirm in the seat.

 

"Done. Ready for the next foot?" Spyro asked, grinning.

 

Breathless, her cheeks red, and eyes bright, Heidi nodded.

 

Her laughter made the others smile. After Spyro had finished, she set Heidi's foot back in the spa and took her other foot out, starting to clip and buff her nails carefully.

 

Wendy and Layla returned to their conversation about the upcoming gala. Next to them, Grant and Craig were talking about their own suits, the suits for Elijah and Elliot, and the dress they thought Jewel might wear.

 

"There's going to be citizens; Jewel'd wear something long-sleeve, right?" Craig asked.

 

Grant shrugged. "Maybe, but if she's trying to get work and recognition as Gemstone, she might not care."

 

"Ooh, good point. Do you think Jewel can send photos of the dresses to us?"

 

"We'll have to ask nicely," Grant replied, grinning.

 

Ida turned her attention back to the conversation around her, glad that Craig and Grant looked to be ridiculously in love with each other. Grant looked at Craig the way he deserved: smitten and awed at the same time. Craig had blushed more in the past hour than Ida had seen in the last seventeen years, but she could see the same expression on his face when he looked at Grant as well. If Jewel looked at either of them with even _half_ their intensity, then Ida knew that Craig would be well-loved indeed.

 

...

 

"Grant?" Craig said, waiting until they were alone in the massage room, their massages finished, his body feeling loose and warm.

 

"Yeah, babe?" Grant asked from his massage table, his voice thick and verging on sleep.

 

"We need to do this at home later," Craig said.

 

Grant lifted his head to frown over at Craig, then grinned when he saw the blush on his cheeks. "Liked it, did you, babe?"

 

Craig nodded. "I had to shift so I wouldn't moan," he admitted.

 

Grant made himself sit up, rolling his shoulders before standing and walking to Craig, kissing his lips. "I'll make sure you get a happy ending, okay?"

 

Craig whimpered, the noise quiet against Grant's mouth. "Okay."

 

Grant kissed him one more time, slow and luxurious, drawing out a few more of Craig's delicious noises before stepping back. "We've got facials now."

 

"We can stay here," Craig said hopefully. "You're not wearing a belt," he added, glancing to Grant's partially tented towel and his cheeks reddening.

 

Laughing, Grant kissed Craig's palm. "Good try, babe. Come on, we have facials, and then we can go pick up Jewel and make out."

 

Craig sighed.

 

There was a knock at the door. "Would you like water or tea?" Vesela asked.

 

"Tea, please. We'll be right out," Grant added.

 

"No rush, please relax," Vesela said.

 

Craig went behind his partition to change back into his clothes. Before he slipped a shirt on, he took a photo of himself in his jeans, shirtless, and his face with several red marks from the massage table. Sending the photo to Jewel, he added a caption: Grant doesn't want to make out with me :(

 

Jewel's reply came almost a moment later: aww, I'd totally make out with you!

Her next text was six lines of heart-eyed emoticons.

 

Craig grinned and slipped his shirt on, tugging the material over his oil-warmed body.

 

By the time he was dressed, Jewel had sent another message, a photo of Elijah and Elliot sleeping and each cuddling a plush elephant toy. Craig smiled at the sight of his nephews, replying with several coloured hearts and heart-eyed emoticons.

 

"Ready, babe?" Grant asked.

 

"Yeah, ready," Craig said, stopping short as he came out from behind the screen to see Grant leaning against the massage table, dressed only in his jeans.

 

"You sent the photo to both of us, not just Jewel," Grant said, grinning.

 

Craig blinked, his brain stuck on the definition of Grant's shoulders, his pecs, his abs, the lithe muscles in his biceps and the V of his hips. The soft glow from the candles seemed to make everything warmer and the residue from the massage oil added an extra shine to Grant's body. Wordless and still stunned, Craig continued to take the sight of him in, trying to commit every line and curve to memory.

 

Grant frowned as he straightened and crossed the room to cup Craig's cheek. "I think I broke you, babe."

 

Craig's eyes closed at the touch of Grant's hand on his skin, and he tilted his head gently to rest in Grant's palm completely. He felt a light touch of lips against his own, and Craig followed Grant's lips for another kiss and another and another.

 

"I'll always want to make out with you, babe. Don't ever think that I don't," Grant murmured as he pulled away.

 

Another knock at the door had them pulling apart, and Craig licked his lips. "We're coming!"

 

"Please clean up after yourselves."

 

Grant laughed. "We'll be out in a minute," he called, pulling his shirt on. "Ready, babe?"

 

Craig nodded and took Grant's hand, his pink, yellow, and blue nails bright even in the dimly lit room. "Ready."

 

Grant smiled and kissed his hand before they left, Vesela waiting with their cups of tea.

 

...

 

"Those facials were wonderful. I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed," Anita said, touching her face with a wistful sigh. "Thank you for the lovely day out, Frieda. I - ahh!" Anita stopped short with a scream, her hand pressed to her chest when she saw the kitchen bench full of those creepy little train model people.

 

"Anita?" Heidi asked, eyes wide as she tried to see what was wrong.

 

"I _hate_ those things. Richard!" Anita called, shuddering and turning away from the kitchen, trying to calm her racing heart.

 

Nina frowned from the wooden figures to Anita, who she could tell was feeling real fear, and put a hand on her shoulder, gently easing her emotions. "It's all right, Anita. It's not real."

 

"I know. I know, but I still... Richard _knows_ not to leave them where I can see them," she said, letting Nina guide her to the lounge room.

 

"Are you okay, Anita?" Heidi asked, sitting beside her and taking her hand, a spark of electricity against Anita's skin.

 

"Fine. I just... don't like those figurines," she said. "Sorry for scaring you, dear."

 

Heidi shook her head. "I wasn't scared. I was worried for you," she said with a firm nod.

 

"I'm all right now. Thank you."

 

"Oh, hello, Annie. You're home earlier than I expected," Richard said, smiling. His smile faded when he saw Anita's expression. "Are you all right?"

 

"She walked into the kitchen. Your little... dolls are in there," Nina said.

 

"Oh? _Oh_. Oh, shit. Sorry, Annie. I'll put them away right now. Sorry," he said again, kissing her forehead gently before going to the kitchen, calling for Ethan and Zach to help him.

 

"Want me to set them on fire?" Warren asked from the doorway.

 

Anita laughed. "No, thank you, Warren. It might actually be worse if they're on fire. Tiny creepy screams," she said with a horrified shudder.

 

Nina hurried to ease Anita's emotions again.

 

"Hey, hippie. Nice nails," Warren said, seeing the green shine to the dark colour in the daylight.

 

Layla smiled and kissed him in greeting. "Thanks."

 

"Oh, hey, you're all home. I hope you don't mind, but I put Victor in the guest room. He was pooped. Elijah and Elliot have been playing safari with me for the last few hours," Jewel said, cooing at the twins in her arms, each of them holding a giraffe and elephant tightly.

 

"That's nice, dear. Victor hasn't been sleeping much lately, he needs it where and when he can," Edith said, taking Elijah and kissing Elliot's cheek.

 

"He's been having nightmares about Cara," Honey said, frowning. "Craig, you might need to stay home tonight. Practice with Nina's power," she added.

 

Craig nodded. "All right."

 

"It doesn't mean you can't go with Grant and Jewel now. Just be home for... seven," Honey said. "You'll get dinner then. Edith's cooking."

 

"Oh, nice. Thanks, Edith," Craig said, grinning as he kissed her cheek and then took Elliot from Jewel, kissing and making babbling noises at his nephew.

 

"Ooh, nice nails, Craig," Jewel said.

 

"Thanks. Did you see Grant's?"

 

Grant grinned and held up his hand with pink, purple, and blue nails. Jewel smiled brightly and hugged him tightly, kissing Craig so she wouldn't crush Elliot between them.

 

"I'm assuming you're Jewel?" Ida asked.

 

"Yes. Mrs. Spattle?" Jewel said.

 

"Call me Ida, dear."

 

"I don't get to call you Ida, Mrs. S."

 

"That's because you like calling me 'Mrs. S,'" she replied.

 

Craig laughed. "Good point. Oh, hey Zach. Any more cookies left? They were awesome."

 

"Not unless you're willing to pay for them," Zach said, picking at a blue splatter of paint on his hand.

 

"How much?" Hyacinth asked.

 

"Huh?"

 

Ethan grabbed Zach's hand so he'd pay attention.

 

"How much for the cookies, dear?" Hyacinth asked.

 

"Oh. I was gonna sell them for, like, three bucks."

 

Hyacinth pulled out her wallet and handed a five dollar note to him. "Sell them for five. They're worth it."

 

Zach still looked a little confused so Ethan smiled and took the note from Hyacinth. "We'll get a pack for you."

 

"A pack? I thought it was five for one cookie?"

 

"You'd pay five bucks for _one_ cookie? It's just choc chip, not even a fancy one," Zach said incredulously.

 

Ethan went to grab a wrapped pack for Hyacinth, returning to give it to her.

 

"Oh, you'll definitely want to sell these for more than three dollars. Offer samples and people would pay through their nose," Hyacinth said.

 

"Can they just pay through their wallet instead? Oh, Heids, look at you!"

 

Heidi grinned and showed Zach her nails proudly, a rainbow of assorted colours on her nails. She signed and then wiggled her toes in her sandals so he'd see her toenails too.

 

"Did you have fun?" Ethan asked.

 

Heidi nodded firmly. She noticed that Hyacinth had a pack of cookies. "Can I have more, too?"

 

"Sure. Come on," Zach said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to lead her to the kitchen.

 

"I hid some for you," Ethan said, following after them.

 

"You look nice, Ma," Adam said, smiling at her relaxed expression and red nails.

 

"Thank you. You look... like you had a paint war," Ida said, blinking in surprise at the sight of her son covered in smears of paint.

 

Adam shrugged. "Da kept wiping the paint off his fingers onto me. I got him back."

 

"Oh, dear. Curtis?" Ida called, her eyes widening when Curtis came into the lounge room.

 

His whole face was covered in splatters of paint, as though Adam had flicked the paint brushes at Curtis for five minutes straight.

 

"This is your son's fault. He _said_ it was an accident. I've been scrubbing for an hour."

 

"I'm your son too, Da. Besides, it _was_ an accident," Adam lied, grinning.

 

"How'd it go?" Jared asked Sarah quietly.

 

Sarah looked at him, her eyes narrowed, then she grinned and started to tickle him. Jared's squeals of laughter had everyone looking to them, Babel laughing at her son's predicament. "When were you going to tell me you'd planned on proposing?" Sarah asked.

 

"Next year on our anniversary," Jared said, finally pulling away from his wife's reach. "It was supposed to be a romantic story, not resulting in tickling."

 

Honey laughed. "You sap. Come on, I'll drive you home. Babs, you're okay to drive home?"

 

"Oh, why don't you stay for dinner, Babs?" Frieda offered. "Layla and Warren are leaving me all alone," she added.

 

"That would be lovely. Thank you," Babel replied with a warm smile.

 

"They've already left, actually," Donny said, having seen Layla and Warren leaving quietly a few minutes ago.

 

Nina sighed. "Well, looks like I'm on my own, too."

 

"Not anymore, dear. Come to dinner. Anyone else?" Frieda asked brightly. "Tilda, you'll join us, won't you?"

 

"Sonny should be home soon, so I might head off. Next time though, definitely. Thank you for the offer," Tilda said with a smile.

 

"Not a problem, dear. Have a nice night. You too, Wendy and Donny," Frieda added, seeing them heading to the door.

 

"How come they can sneak out and we can't?" Wendy muttered.

 

"Bye," Donny called over his shoulder as Wendy led him to her car.

 

Others made plans to join Frieda for dinner, some people left for their own homes. Richard went upstairs to wake Victor when Elliot and Elijah started crying for attention after Craig left with Grant and Jewel.

 

Half an hour, Anita and Richard were alone with their three children. Richard kissed Anita and hugged her close. "Sorry about the figurines, Annie."

 

"You're making it up to me later," she muttered, breathing shakily as she thought of the creepy things. "How was your day? Have fun?"

 

"Yeah, lots of fun. Ethan hasn't shown an interest in my trains since he was a kid, but today, he was suggesting adjustments. He thinks the basement might be big enough to do a whole replica of Maxville, even with the pool going in. Ethan spent hours measuring and Zach even sketched a few designs. He's getting better at drawing, I'll show you the designs later," Richard said, kissing her cheek and hugging her again.

 

Anita could guess why they wanted a full-scale replica of Maxville, but didn't voice her thoughts. She closed her eyes, hugged her husband, and let herself calm down in his arms.

 

...

 

Later that night, Anita woke with a sweat-drenched start, a cry dying just behind her lips.

 

 _Stupid chess pieces turning into creepy little wooden faceless people_ , she thought to herself, shuddering.

 

Beside her, Richard was sound asleep. Anita's mouth was dry and she was desperate for a drink, but couldn't bring herself to go downstairs to the kitchen.

 

_What if one of those creepy little dolls had been forgotten and was still sitting on the bench? Worse, what if those creepy little people had moved on their own? What if they were waiting for her to come downstairs, to stare at her with their creepy faceless faces?_

 

"You're being ridiculous," Anita muttered to herself.

 

She was more rational than this and besides, she was taller than those creepy little people. She could just stomp on one of them if it happened to be there.

 

Her mind made up and her throat dry, Anita got out of bed, careful not to wake Richard. Walking out of her room, she briefly considered asking one of the kids to go down to the kitchen with her. They could turn the light on and check the kitchen was clear. They wouldn't judge her, all three had had their own nightmares and irrational fears, and they'd do it if she asked, Anita knew this.

 

Passing by Ethan and Zach's room, she heard soft moans and hurried past that bit faster. Heidi was fast asleep in her room, the lights a soft blue glow as she dreamed peacefully. Anita was loathe to wake her, especially since she knew Heidi had had a bad sleep the night before, the lights pulsing an angry red that resulted in at least three strings of lights bursting.

 

"You're a grown ass woman. Now move," Anita demanded of herself softly.

 

She couldn't stop her nerves from making her imagination run wild though, and Anita found she was trembling as she reached the staircase. Stopping short, Anita held a hand to her chest, tears in her eyes as she saw a set of string lights winding their way down the staircase railing and glowing Heidi's soft blue colour.

 

Emboldened, Anita descended the stairs and went to the kitchen, smiling at the rope lights that Richard had added to the architraves, all of them glowing softly and keeping her fears at bay.

 

...

 

End of the seventy-fourth chapter.


	75. Chapter 75

"Good morning, Mr. Kemp. I apologise for the early call, but I wanted to catch you before you left for work."

 

"It's six in the morning," he said, voice rough with sleep and annoyance.

 

_Weren't telemarketers meant to start later in the day?_

 

"Yes, and your boss is going to call five minutes after this call ends. Now, Mr. Kemp, my name's Hourglass."

 

The name woke him far faster than the ringing phone had. _Everyone knew who Hourglass was._

 

"How do I know it's you?"

 

"Your son's medication is not agreeing with him. My pharmaceutical company has created an alternative, and if you and your son are willing, I would like him to test the product. It will allow for a smoother transition and won't affect his power."

 

A cold shiver ran through his body, despite the summer heat. **_No one_** _knew about his son's power._ The second thought on the heels of that was: _I'm really talking to Hourglass_.

 

"What do you want?" he asked, knowing that something like this wasn't going to come without a price.

 

"I'd like to offer you a job. The medication is separate to the job offer, of course. This is not blackmail, Mr. Kemp," Hourglass said firmly. "I'll email you the details of both the job and medication; connor.kemp, correct? I'd like an answer on both by the end of the week, as both decisions will require further actions either way."

 

"Where is the job, Hourglass?"

 

"Outskirts of Westville, close to Maxville. I can send you some rental properties in a good area, if you'd like?"

 

"The job's temporary then?"

 

"No, full-time and permanent, but rentals allow you more flexibility for the future."

 

Frowning at her wording, but supposing she would know about his future better than most, Connor didn't respond.

 

"Have a lovely day, Mr. Kemp. I hope to hear from you soon," Hourglass said pleasantly, ending the call.

 

Remembering her earlier words about his boss calling, Connor stayed awake and resisted the urge to check his emails straight away. He flicked to a meditation app and set it for five minutes, focusing on the person's voice as he inhaled and exhaled deeply. Exactly five minutes after Hourglass' call, his phone rang again.

 

"Good morning, sir."

 

"Nothing good about it, Kemp. We've practically lost the Japan deal overnight."

 

All thoughts of Hourglass' offer flew from his mind. "I've been working on that deal for _three months_. What happened?" he asked, heading for his ensuite bathroom, scratching his bare hip.

 

"Watson happened. He went on a racist and anti-super rant; he's offended everyone both on the Japan side _and_ over here."

 

"How publicly?"

 

"Twitter; where else? We need damage control sooner rather than later, Kemp, or the last three months are down the drain."

 

"I'll be there in ten," Connor replied, ending the call. Not bothering with the hot water, he stepped under the cold spray for the fastest shower of his life.

 

...

 

Greta squinted at her computer screen, muttering as she tried to navigate the website. "User friendly, my ass," she said with a fierce scowl. "Ah, there you are, you little asshole."

 

Clicking the login button, Greta groaned when a box appeared asking for her email address and password. "Why can't you just _remember_ it? Damn computer's meant to be smart," she groused, opening her desk drawer and flicking through a notebook to find out which password she'd used for the site.

 

After typing everything in carefully and double-checking it was correct, Greta finally accessed her FitBit account.

 

Scrolling through several days of data, she muttered about the supposed user-friendliness of the _lying_ website (not to mention the liars at the store who'd sold her the damn thing, promising that even she would be able to use the website).

 

She'd _finally_ finished the rehabilitation and physiotherapy sessions, that sadistic asshole of a doctor making her waste money on things she didn't need to satisfy her health insurance requirements. The physiotherapy didn't even _work_ anyway, her leg was still killing her. Greta hadn't been doing the exercises of course, that's what the physiotherapy was for.

 

The FitBit that had been sold to her had claimed to have a GPS on it to track her movements and paths she'd taken over the day. She kept it in her handbag, not liking the rubbery feel of the wristband and not willing to pay more for something fancier.

 

So long as it worked, Greta didn't care if the FitBit had a direct line to the President himself, she just wanted to know where she'd been. The vines in her body had the ability to make her _feel_ things, so Greta wouldn't put it past them to make her _do_ things too.

 

"Date, date, where... ah, there," she murmured to herself, typing to enter the date of her kitchen fire.

 

Dr. Sadistic Asshole might assume she was an elderly invalid who didn't know how to fucking cook, but Greta knew herself better than that.

 

Seeing the path her FitBit showed for that day - and not _just_ to the hospital - Greta's eyes widened. She'd gone to the prison, as she knew she'd planned, and then had driven out to the edge of Maxville for God knew what reason.

 

Figuring she could start at the prison, Greta left her computer room to get dressed, leaving the computer on so she could print off the map later. Not that she'd throw it in Dr. Sadistic's face, but the option would always be there if she had it handy.

 

...

 

"Guys, we've got a problem," Adam said.

 

"Can it wait until _after_ the championships?" Ethan hissed, not taking his eyes off his mother who was still waiting for her opponent to arrive.

 

"Greta has a FitBit and knows she was taken to the Hive after going to the prison on the day of the fire. Still think I should I wait?" Adam asked tersely.

 

"Shit. Can you delete the data?" Warren asked.

 

"Yeah, but she's already seen it."

 

"Donny, what can you do from this distance?" Layla asked.

 

"Not a lot. She's a whole other town away. It wouldn't be luck if I could get her thoughts while in this crowd, it'd be a damn miracle," Donny stressed.

 

Honey reached over and grabbed Donny's wrist, his eyes rolling back as he latched on to her vision.

 

He was breathing heavily when she let go a second later, but Donny nodded firmly. "All right. I can do it. Layla, you need to call her home phone. Turn off caller ID first, or she won't pick up. I need a full minute, can you keep her on that long?"

 

"I'll try," Layla said, scrolling through her phone to turn off caller ID.

 

"How are you going with the data, Adam?" Warren asked.

 

"Almost done. Wiping the whole thing instead of a day. It's way too suss otherwise," Adam muttered, thumbs flying over his screen as he accessed Greta's account.

 

"Good idea."

 

"Anita's opponent's here; everyone look up," Zach said.

 

Looking to Anita, they all waved and cheered enthusiastically for her, their noise dying down when someone hissed at them to be quiet and stop interrupting the players' concentration.

 

"They haven't even started yet, you idiot," Craig replied, pulling a face at them.

 

The usher guided Anita's opponent over. As the man was the last to be seated - with only a minute to spare or else she would have won automatically by forfeit - it was obvious whose opponent he was. Anita smiled at her first opponent, trying not to show her nerves.

 

Player Thirty barked a short laugh when he saw her at the table. "What's this? Where's my real opponent?"

 

"Player Five is your opponent, sir. Do you wish to forfeit?" the usher asked, sounding to be at the end of their patience.

 

Thirty took his seat - thirty seconds to spare - and sneered. "Nah, this'll be an easy start."

 

"You are aware of the rules, sir?" the usher asked, stern now.

 

"'Course, I've been playing chess for years."

 

"The competition's rules. It includes rules about treating all players with respect and courtesy."

 

"I'm all right," Anita said, nodding for the usher to leave; the game was about to start.

 

Thirty snorted as the usher left. "Look at that, I'm white, you're black."

 

"Yes, those are the two colours used in chess," she said, her jaw clenched tight, even with the forced smile on her face.

 

Anita _had_ planned on introducing herself, but she decided that this asshole wasn't worth her manners or time.

 

Before Thirty could reply or say anything else, the buzzer sounded for the games to start, the noise in the hall immediately dying. Moving the F pawn to F3, Thirty hit his clock. Anita moved her E pawn to E5 and tapped her clock. Thirty moved the G pawn to G4, hitting the clock and sitting back in his seat, grinning like he'd already won.

 

Anita had to look at the board three times before she believed her eyes. Thirty had just done the _dumbest_ play. It was so dumb that it was actually called 'Fool's mate' and anyone who played chess knew how devastating being called a fool was. The pattern of moves resulted in the opposing player winning in _two moves_.

 

"Do you need some help?" Thirty asked with a sneer.

 

Anita smiled, bright and genuine this time, then moved her queen to H4 and tapped the clock. "Checkmate."

 

"What? You... you cheated! You - " Thirty's abuse cut off abruptly, his body twitching like he'd been zapped with electricity.

 

Anita looked over to the stands where Heidi was sitting with Richard and the others.

 

"Is there a problem here?" the usher asked, at her side suddenly.

 

"I have checkmate," Anita said, glancing away from her daughter.

 

"You fucking bitch!" Thirty yelled, no longer under Heidi's control.

 

"Congratulations on your win, player Five. Player Thirty, you can leave the premises willingly or be thrown out by security," the usher said.

 

Thirty paled when he saw the security guard step forward, the large man towering and menacing.

 

Frieda watched as Thirty smacked the chess pieces off the board and ran out of the hall, her eyes narrowing before she turned to look back at Adam. "I know you're busy, dear, but I'd like that man's address when you have a moment."

 

"I have all of the contestants' addresses already; I'll send the list to you," Adam said. "And I'm done," he added to Warren and Layla.

 

Layla was waiting for Greta to pick up the phone and nodded in response, smiling her thanks. Then her expression changed to one of distraught. "Greta?"

 

"What do you want?"

 

"I just... I'm really sorry, Greta. I wanted to apologise for the things I did and the way I acted when I lived with you. I was emotional after losing my mother and I lashed out at the wrong person. I'm really sorry. I don't want to lose the last living family member I have," Layla added, her voice breaking.

 

Beside her, Warren had to let his fire take his emotion so he wouldn't burst out laughing at her expression and tone. Zach was shaking with laughter and Craig had his head buried against Jewel's shoulder. Honey clamped a hand over Grant's mouth to stop his laughter from making Greta hang up too early. Adam muffled his laugh in the crook of his arm.

 

The only reason Donny wasn't laughing was due to his concentration being on Greta's thoughts, accessing them through the phone and using waves or _something_ ; he didn't really understand what Honey had shown him, Donny only knew that he could do it and it would work.

 

"Can you ever forgive me, Greta?" Layla asked.

 

" _Forgive you?_ You ruined my life, you little bitch! You put these, these _things_ under my skin, and you destroyed my house! I know it was you, girl. You and that fire boyfriend of yours, I _know_ it was you and I have proof," Greta snapped.

 

"But I haven't seen you since court, Greta," Layla protested.

 

"Then how do you explain... the... _something_. I know... I _know_ it," Greta said, even as the memories erased from her mind. "What are you... what... _stop this!_ "

 

"I'm not doing anything, Greta," Layla said truthfully. "Tell me, do the vines still hurt?"

 

"Every damn day. I'm going... I'm going to get revenge. I will. If it's... last thing..."

 

Layla looked from Donny to Honey, waiting for them both to nod before she ended the call. "Did you get it all, Donny?"

 

"Yeah, I got it. Though asking me _after_ you'd hung up? Stupid move," Donny muttered, leaning against Wendy.

 

Layla conceded with a nod. "I suppose it was. Thank you, Donny," she said, kissing his cheek. "Do you want something to eat or drink? My shout."

 

"Yeah, that'd be good."

 

...

 

Greta frowned, wondering why she was holding her phone. She set it back down and returned her attention to her computer, going through the painful process of accessing her FitBit account online. The graphs were empty, the maps hadn't changed, and there was nothing there.

 

"Useless bloody technology!" she snapped.

 

Standing, Greta went to get dressed and return the stupid thing. Just wait until she gave those swindlers a piece of her mind. They'd crossed the wrong woman.

 

...

 

"How are you feeling, Mum?" Ethan asked, offering her a bottle of water.

 

Anita took the bottle and drank deeply before answering. "Mentally exhausted. Twelve was tough to beat. How are you guys all going? You're not bored?"

 

She was met with head shakes and 'no's.

 

"Ethan's explaining the game and patterns as you're playing," Zach said.

 

"Heidi's started playing a chess app with Richard on her phone. She's gone to the bathroom with Frieda," Layla added.

 

"Can I marry your brain, Anita?" Wendy asked, grinning.

 

"What?"

 

"You combined three different strategies in that last game. I didn't even see it coming."

 

"Well, the first two didn't work. The third did," Anita replied with a shrug.

 

"I can't believe you're going up against Mr. Medulla. I _so_ thought Thirteen was going to bump him out of the competition," Zach said.

 

"He used the bishop and knight mate; it took thirty-three moves to get to that point though," Wendy said.

 

"Do we need to go over any strategies?" Ethan asked, book and folder at the ready.

 

"Hey, Robin. You made it," Craig said, grinning at them.

 

They nodded. "Only just; traffic was ridiculous and I missed the first hour of the competition. Terry's here too; I think he's buying his weight in nachos," Robin said, grinning and looking over to the food section.

 

"There's nachos?" Zach asked, standing to look. "Eth, can you buy me nachos? I'll love you forever."

 

"You've got your own money from chores," Ethan replied.

 

"So not the point, Eth. Anyone want food? Heids?" Zach asked, signing to her.

 

Heidi nodded enthusiastically, signing back.

 

"A hot dog? I'll see what they've got."

 

"I'll help you carry the food. I can smell the irresistible, luring scent of deep-fried potato in one of its many forms," Craig said, his hand against his chest as he fluttered his eyelashes.

 

"Dork. Get me fries," Adam said, handing a five dollar note to him.

 

"That's Sir Dork to you," Craig said with a snicker, taking the cash.

 

"You're a true knight, kind sir. Can you get fries for us, too?" Jewel asked, handing her and Grant's cash to him with a wink.

 

"For you, lady, anything," Craig said with a sweeping and flourishing bow.

 

"I wish," Jewel muttered.

 

Grant laughed and tugged Jewel back onto the bench beside him, his arm around her waist. "Down, girl."

 

Victor shook his head and turned his attention back to Elijah and Elliot, taking out their apple mush to feed them too.

 

Zach and Craig left, discussing which kind of deep-fried potato was best.

 

"I'm not here with Mr. Medulla, Ethan, you can let go of the book," Robin said with a grin.

 

"That's what someone would say if they _were_ here with Mr. Medulla," he replied, his grip tightening.

 

Robin laughed. "All right, believe whatever you want. What happened in the first hour? Any interesting games?" they asked curiously.

 

"Anita's first opponent lost with Fool's mate," Wendy said, laughing.

 

"What? I thought that play was a myth? _Everyone_ knows not to do that."

 

"He was cocky about playing against a black woman," Anita said.

 

Robin blinked as they translated Anita's words. "Oh. That _asshole_. Where is he?"

 

"He was chased out by security," Layla said.

 

"That's not good enough," Robin muttered.

 

The ground shook slightly, not enough to knock over the chess pieces but a few people looked to the doors, reminded of the Westville earthquake. Robin sighed and calmed down slowly, the building returning to a standstill.

 

"Player Five and player Two, please return to the floor," an announcer said, the lone chess table set up and the other tables removed.

 

"All right, wish me luck," Anita said, smiling and trying not to shake with nerves.

 

Heidi hugged her tightly, stepping back to sign _good luck_.

 

"Good luck, Ma. You can do it," Ethan said, smiling.

 

"Good luck, Anita," Warren said, squeezing her shoulder gently and a rush of warmth flowing through her body, steadying her nerves.

 

"Thank you," she said, waving quickly before heading out to the lone table.

 

Mr. Medulla was walking to the table, waving to his girlfriends. He waited for Anita to arrive before indicating to the table. "Ladies first."

 

Realising that he was offering her the option of white or black chess pieces, Anita considered it for a moment. As white started the game, statistically, it was more likely to win. But she'd played as black for more than half of her games and knew that statistics could be skewed. Sitting down, she nodded to Mr. Medulla to take his place at the side with the white pieces.

 

"Good afternoon, Mr. Medulla," Anita said, smiling at him briefly.

 

"Hello, Mrs. Damsale. I must say, I'm not at all surprised to see you here," Mr. Medulla replied, glancing over to where Ethan was sitting with Anita's friends and family.

 

"I'm not surprised to see you here either," she said.

 

"Players, ready?" the usher asked.

 

"Yes, thank you," Anita said, Mr. Medulla nodding briefly.

 

They were given the go-ahead to start, Mr. Medulla contemplating his first move for a few seconds before moving a pawn and pressing the timer.

 

"Thanks for the fries," Jewel whispered to Craig, kissing his cheek as he returned with Zach and set between her and Grant.

 

"Why are we whispering?" Craig asked in a whisper.

 

"Shh, they're playing."

 

"It's Anita's first move. Breathe, Ethan," Richard said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "She'll be fine."

 

Moving her knight, Anita pressed the timer. Mr. Medulla moved another pawn, pressing the timer. Anita moved her knight back to its main position, pressing the timer.

 

"Trying to discover my strategy, Mrs. Damsale?" Medulla asked. "Your son did the same thing last year; I've learnt my lesson," he said, moving his knight before pressing the timer.

 

Anita didn't bother answering, looking at the board before moving a pawn forward two spaces and pressing the timer.

 

"A silent player then, not a problem," Mr. Medulla said, zipping his lip and considering the board before moving his knight and pressing the timer.

 

Several more plays continued in silence, Anita trying to determine her own game while working out what Medulla was doing.

 

Anita sacrificed a pawn to save her knight, then captured Medulla's bishop with her own bishop.

 

"Ah, there goes the double bishop," Mr. Medulla murmured, before moving the king towards the rook and playing a castle move to switch the two pieces, pressing the timer.

 

Anita surveyed the board, determining what strategy might work. Moving a pawn two spots, she pressed the timer.

 

"Interesting," Mr. Medulla said, reaching for a piece. His fingers hovered for a moment before withdrawing.

 

After another two hover and withdraws, Anita's gaze flicked to the clocks beside them. Medulla was running out of time to play his turn.

 

"Ah, there."

 

Anita looked back to see Medulla move his knight and freeing his second bishop to attack. Moving a pawn forward, Anita winced when she saw the mistake she'd made. Anita hid her amusement when Medulla fell for her trap, moving his knight to capture her pawn. He didn't notice that he'd left an almost direct line from her bishop to his king. Moving her rook forward, Anita left it in front of the two pawns defending the king.

 

Medulla frowned at the obvious trap, looking at the board closely to see what Anita was planning. Her plan didn't work, as Medulla saw the bishop and moved his rook rather than the pawn. It left the pawn free for Anita to take, but her rook would be taken by the king a move later. Moving her knight instead, she hoped Medulla might move his pieces to protect himself and block himself in a Réti's mate. Moving one of his other pawns forward to stop from blocking himself in, Medulla pressed the timer and waited for Anita's turn.

 

 _Shit_ , Anita thought, swearing she heard Donny snickering from the stands.

 

She and Medulla continued for a few more turns, sacrificing pawns and a rook.

 

"You still have both bishops; the double bishop or Boden's mate?" Medulla mused curiously.

 

Anita had played poker with Honey and kept both her mind and face neutral.

 

Medulla finally sacrificed his pawn to take Anita's rook diagonally from it, leaving his king open. He knew she would move the bishop to take the pawn, which would leave him in check, but he could take that in response.

 

Anita moved her bishop to take the pawn, and breathed a sigh of relief as she pressed the timer. "Checkmate."

 

"What?" Medulla said, looking at the board, only to see Anita's black knight in the position to take the king from the bishop, and the other positions covered by the two bishops.

 

"Blackburne's mate."

 

Mr. Medulla frowned, trying to think of the strategy, but drawing a blank.

 

The usher stepped forward at Anita's checkmate, looking at the board and comparing their times. "Player Five wins!"

 

The stands erupted with cheers and clapping, Anita smiling at her family and friends as they cheered the loudest.

 

"Good game, Mrs. Damsale," Mr. Medulla said, holding out a hand to shake.

 

She shook his gloved hand firmly. "Thank you. Good game, Mr. Medulla."

 

...

 

Connor had finally appeased the Japanese businessmen and businesswomen. They had only deigned to accept his call once he'd publicly apologised for Watson's behaviour and stated that Watson was no longer working for the company.

 

Watson's anti-super and racist comments had resulted in public backlash on Twitter as well, so Connor had spent the next few hours drafting individual apologies and making sure they didn't sound like the usual fake 'sorry, not sorry' company statements. He took the time to reply to each one personally over the company's Twitter page, glad now more than ever for his ability to touch-type at a fast speed. It had gotten him through two years of his MBA, preferring to work on a stress-enforced deadline as he knew he worked well under pressure.

 

When that was done, Connor set the intern the task of monitoring the company's Twitter feed and asking the terrified intern to collate the responses for him to deal with personally. The intern's expression turned from barely-concealed terror to relief, and they nodded, turning their attention back to their computer screen.

 

Closing his office door and taking a moment to finally breathe, Connor looked at the time, wincing when he saw that it was almost two-thirty. He had yet to eat, but he'd survived on less before, and reminded himself of that as he went to sit down. The reminder brought up mostly unpleasant memories, of screams and explosions, of bullets and blood flying, and the stench of men who didn't have the luxury of bathing behind enemy lines. Connor forced himself to inhale through the memory, slowly unclenching his fists and opening his eyes once more.

 

"You're home, Kemp. You're home and you're safe. Now eat some food and call your son," he told himself firmly, concentrating on nothing but taking those last few steps to his chair.

 

He was in the middle of eating a muesli bar when he came across Hourglass' emails. After being so focused on the disaster that morning, Connor had practically forgotten about them. He left the medical one alone, knowing that he couldn't make a decision without discussing and reading it with Ry first.

 

Opening the job offer - still to be discussed with his son, but Connor could at least consider whether it was right for himself first - he almost choked on his mouthful when he saw the salary Hourglass had listed.

 

 _It had to be a mistake_ , Connor thought, scrolling down to check the job's duties.

 

Instead, he found a list of benefits, including medical, dental, and considerably hefty 401K employer contributions. _Shit, he didn't even get dental now_.

 

Connor kept scrolling - the salary was listed again with a note stating it wasn't incorrect, nor a typo; _yes, that's_ ** _really_** _how much the position was worth_ \- and finally found the duties.

 

It was fairly similar to his current role: business presentations, making deals with other companies both domestic and foreign, and ensuring that nothing went wrong with the deals or the company's employees. He would oversee the company's dealings and ensure that their products were of the highest quality, met industry standards, and aiming for best-practice at all times. Ensuring best-practice could result in conferences and overseas travel, which would result in appropriate compensation for being away from home.

 

Finishing his muesli bar and taking a long drink of water, Connor called his boss.

 

"Kemp," was his boss' usual greeting.

 

"Good afternoon, sir. I was hoping to have a few days off work next week. Thursday and Friday, if that's suitable?"

 

"What's it for, Kemp? Your usual camping trip isn't 'til the end of summer and you never take days off work," his boss replied, confused more than anything.

 

Connor prided himself on being truthful whenever possible. "I've had a job offer from Hourglass - "

 

His boss' sudden string of curses were a surprise and Connor stopped mid-sentence to let his boss finish ranting. "What's she offering that I'm not?!" his boss demanded finally.

 

"Dental, sir."

 

There was a moment of silence, and Connor could practically hear his boss' mind turning. "Your teeth are fine, Kemp."

 

"That's not the point, sir."

 

"Shit, I _know_ that. If I have to lose you to anyone, then at least it's to Hourglass. I know she'll look after you and your kid."

 

"Well, you haven't lost me yet, sir. I'm only asking for two days off to check out the town, the company, that sort of thing. Besides, I'd have to discuss it with Ry first."

 

"After saving the deal this morning, you can have the whole week off. Just... don't leave me for dental alone, okay, Kemp?"

 

"It'll take more than dental, sir. Like you said: my teeth are fine," Connor said with a grin, his boss barking a laugh and hanging up on him.

 

There was a knock at the door, the intern looking in when Connor called them. "Uh, sir, your daughter's on the phone. Line two."

 

"Son," Connor corrected automatically, then picked up the line when the intern paled and left his office. "Hey, Ry. Sorry I left early this morning; there was a crisis at work. Did you see the note I left for you?"

 

"Yeah, Papa, I saw it. You missed our tai chi session," he chided. "But I saw the Twitter crisis myself, so I forgive you. I've got karate tonight; will you be home or should I catch a bus?"

 

"You know I don't like you alone on the bus, Ryuu," he said sternly.

 

"I'm seventeen, Papa. Besides, you know I can take care of myself," Ryuu replied, rolling his eyes.

 

Connor sighed. He knew Ry's words for the truth, but that didn't mean he couldn't worry about his child. "Well, I managed to solve the crisis, so I'll be home earlier than I expected. How about we go to karate together?"

 

"Really? Awesome. Thanks, Papa."

 

"No problem, son. Love you."

 

"Love you, too. Kick corporate butt," Ry said with a laugh as he hung up.

 

Connor smiled and returned his attention to Hourglass' job offer. He could discuss both the job and medical offers with Ry on the way to karate. It would give Ry the opportunity to read both emails in the car and bring up any issues or questions that Connor might not have thought of himself. The karate session would give both of them time to clear their minds and think about the offers seriously.

 

Either way, Connor now had a week off to spend time with Ry, and to him, nothing was more important than his son.

 

...

 

End of the seventy-fifth chapter.


End file.
